prisoner

noun

pris·​on·​er ˈpriz-nər How to pronounce prisoner (audio)
ˈpri-zᵊn-ər
Synonyms of prisonernext
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

Synonyms of prisoner

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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
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.
The 20-point peace plan, unveiled last fall, led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. — Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 30 July 2026 At 80 years old, Occhicone became the second-oldest inmate ever executed in the United States and the oldest inmate ever executed in Florida, which is putting more elderly prisoners to death than any other state in the nation. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 July 2026 More than 1,000 death-row inmates held in a unit of Iran’s Ghezel Hesar Prison have entered a third week of a mass hunger strike to protest regime executions, with some prisoners sewing their lips shut in protest, according to reports. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 Murashige forms an uneasy alliance with the prisoner Kanbei Kuroda (Suda Masaki), a war strategist of a rival clan who was spared by Murashige, to help solve the murders. — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for prisoner

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prisoner was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing prisoner

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prison camp
prisoner
prisoner's base
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Cite this Entry

“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prisoner. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

prisoner

noun
pris·​on·​er ˈpriz-nər How to pronounce prisoner (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
: a person who has been captured or locked up

Legal Definition

prisoner

noun
pris·​on·​er
: a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody
especially : one under arrest, awaiting trial, on trial, or serving a prison sentence

More from Merriam-Webster on prisoner

Nglish: Translation of prisoner for Spanish Speakers

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