captive

[kap-tiv]

noun

1. a prisoner.

2. a person who is enslaved or dominated.

   He is the captive of his own fears.

adjective

1. made or held prisoner, especially in war.

   captive troops.

2. kept in confinement or restraint.

   captive animals.

3. enslaved by love, beauty, etc.; captivated.

   her captive beau.

4. of or relating to a captive.

5. managed as an affiliate or subsidiary of a corporation and operated almost exclusively for the use or needs of the parent corporation rather than independently for the general public.

   a captive shop;

   a captive mine.

captive

/ ˈkæptɪv /

noun

1. a person or animal that is confined or restrained, esp a prisoner of war

2. a person whose behaviour is dominated by some emotion

   a captive of love

adjective

1. held as prisoner

2. held under restriction or control; confined

   captive water held behind a dam

3. captivated; enraptured

4. unable by circumstances to avoid speeches, advertisements, etc (esp in the phrase captive audience )

Other Word Forms

• noncaptive adjective
• pseudocaptive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of captive¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English or directly from Middle French, from Latin captīvus, equivalent to capt(us) “taken” (past participle of capere “to take”) + -īvus adjective suffix ( -ive )

Word History and Origins

Origin of captive¹

C14: from Latin captīvus, from capere to take

Example Sentences

The RSF fighter then shot the captive several times using an automatic rifle.

Read more on BBC

Palestinian militants also abducted around 250 hostages, with the remaining captives still alive returned during a fragile truce that began this month.

Read more on Barron's

In a post on social media, he slammed Beijing, accusing them of trying to hold the world "captive" and accusing China of becoming "very hostile".

Read more on BBC

When Teddy and Don abduct Michelle and hold her captive in their basement, the movie turns into a bizarre thriller, one in which the captors’ demands can never be met because those demands are insane.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They are already happening—and, far from being captive to the humanities, they value and depend on such insights.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• detainee 
• hostage 
• prisoner 
• prisoner of war 
• slave