: any of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a prison or hospital)
Examples of inmate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, Paxton’s opinion specified that requirement only applies in cases where an inmate dies on jail property, as opposed to, for example, in a hospital while still in custody.
—
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Modrowski had been a model inmate during his three decades of incarceration, according to court records.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
While civilians surf the world wide web like an information superhighway, one prominent lawyer compared inmates’ internet access to a one-lane dirt road.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings threatened to cancel the county’s agreement to hold federal inmates in its jail by March 13 if the feds don’t agree to fully reimburse them for their costs.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Modrowski had been a model inmate during his three decades of incarceration, according to court records.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
While civilians surf the world wide web like an information superhighway, one prominent lawyer compared inmates’ internet access to a one-lane dirt road.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings threatened to cancel the county’s agreement to hold federal inmates in its jail by March 13 if the feds don’t agree to fully reimburse them for their costs.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
Cite this Entry
“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt 
: a member of a group living in a single residence
especially
: a person kept in an institution (as a hospital or prison)
Medical Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: one of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a psychiatric hospital) especially for a long time
Legal Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: a person confined in an institution (as a prison or hospital)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
