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

One inconsolable father, whose daughter is still being held captive, told BBC Hausa that his family had been crying non-stop and "it's hard to go back home and look at their faces".

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Held captive by his wife’s temper like an insect stuck on a pin, the baron squirmed and blushed until he finally turned to Edward Ashton.

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And a robust captive breeding program in China helps ensure a growing panda population.

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Of the more than twenty million who were taken captive, at least half died on the ghastly march to the “factories” that were scattered mainly along Africa’s west coast.

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Twenty living hostages and the remains of 24 deceased captives have been released, with four bodies remaining in Gaza.

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Related Words

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