1
: a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody
especially
: one on trial or in prison
2
: someone restrained as if in prison
a prisoner of her own conscience
see also take-no-prisoners, take no prisoners
Examples of prisoner in a Sentence
He was captured by rebel forces and kept as their prisoner for several months before they set him free.
The families were held prisoner for four days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their jailers offer the prisoners a deal: Option 1: If neither prisoner informs on the other, both will receive relatively light sentences.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Investigators overheard a male inmate talking with a female prisoner about Kohberger during jail transport.
—Michael Ruiz , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2025
Board member Lee Watson said a 1,000-bed facility in western or northwestern Arkansas would meet the state's needs and give sheriffs in the area an intake facility that will help reduce expenses in transporting prisoners.
—Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
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Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Investigators overheard a male inmate talking with a female prisoner about Kohberger during jail transport.
—Michael Ruiz , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2025
Board member Lee Watson said a 1,000-bed facility in western or northwestern Arkansas would meet the state's needs and give sheriffs in the area an intake facility that will help reduce expenses in transporting prisoners.
—Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
Cite this Entry
“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prisoner. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prisoner
noun
pris·on·er
ˈpriz-nər 
-ᵊn-ər
: a person who has been captured or locked up
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