as in imprisoned
taken and held prisoner
the captive soldiers were treated humanely by the guards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prisoner
one that has been taken and held in confinement
the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captive
Alex Erwin, The Conversation, 6 June 2025
Liat and Aviv have been held captive in Gaza with 250 other people, 12 of whom, like Liat, are American citizens.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 June 2025
Staff, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
The comments from Levy come as the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza intensify their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as Israel comes under growing pressure to end the war in Gaza.
—CNN Money, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
The entire population of red wolves, both wild and captive, descends from merely 14 founders of the captive breeding program.
—Alex Erwin, The Conversation, 6 June 2025
Liat and Aviv have been held captive in Gaza with 250 other people, 12 of whom, like Liat, are American citizens.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 June 2025
Noun
While an international search effort organized by Qatar to find captives once held by ISIS has turned up remains in Syria, there is no evidence that any are Tice’s.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
The comments from Levy come as the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza intensify their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as Israel comes under growing pressure to end the war in Gaza.
—CNN Money, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
prisoner
Noun
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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
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This is not a story that labors to earn its prisoners their humanity.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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