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
The flintlock pistol that Torres is given by the Yautja to fight his fellow prisoners is known by Predator fans as the Raphael Adolini 1715 pistol for an engraved plate that says just that.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 June 2025
This is not a story that labors to earn its prisoners their humanity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 June 2025
Neither side disclosed the exact number of prisoners released so far, citing security concerns.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
According to that data, the daily cost of housing an individual prisoner in close custody is $174.22, versus $151.58 for medium.
—Dan Ruetenik, CBS News, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
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Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 June 2025
This is not a story that labors to earn its prisoners their humanity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 June 2025
Neither side disclosed the exact number of prisoners released so far, citing security concerns.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
According to that data, the daily cost of housing an individual prisoner in close custody is $174.22, versus $151.58 for medium.
—Dan Ruetenik, CBS News, 10 June 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 18 Jun. 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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