prisoner

American  

[priz-uh-ner, priz-ner] / ˈprɪz ə nər, ˈprɪz nər /

noun

1. a person who is confined in prison or kept in custody, especially as the result of legal process.

2. prisoner of war.

3. a person or thing that is deprived of liberty or kept in restraint.

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prisoner British  

/ ˈprɪzənə /

noun

1. a person deprived of liberty and kept in prison or some other form of custody as a punishment for a crime, while awaiting trial, or for some other reason

2. a person confined by any of various restraints

   we are all prisoners of time

3. informal to be uncompromising and resolute in one's actions

4. to capture and hold someone as a prisoner, esp as a prisoner of war

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Etymology

Origin of prisoner

1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French. See prison, -er ²

Compare meaning

How does prisoner compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inmate vs. prisoner

Example Sentences

Cooling their heels in a Venetian jail in 1755, Giacomo Casanova and the prisoner in the cell above him contrived one of the more imaginative escapes in the annals of criminology.

From The Wall Street Journal

His party hails him as "one of the youngest prisoners of war".

From Barron's

More prisoners could be released as part of an amnesty bill presented to the National Assembly.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. began in January to move Islamic State prisoners from northeast Syria to Iraq, aiming to relocate about 7,000 detainees.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rodriguez has started releasing political prisoners ahead of the pending amnesty -- more than 400 according to rights group Foro Penal, but with many more still behind bars.

From Barron's

Related Words

• captive
• convict
• detainee
• hostage