inmate
Americannoun
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inmates
plural
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a person who is confined in a prison, hospital, etc.
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Archaic. a person who dwells with others in the same house.
noun
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a person who is confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital See also resident
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obsolete a person who lives with others in a house
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inmate
Compare meaning
How does inmate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An inmate is a person who lives in a specific place, especially someone who's confined there, like a prisoner. You can call yourself an Inmate if you get sent to your room, but usually inmates are behind bars in "the big house." You can talk about a hospital inmate or the inmates at a local boarding school, but it's most common to use inmate and prisoner interchangeably. Originally, in the 16th century, an inmate was "one allowed to live in a house rented by another" — a roommate who's not on the lease, in other words. This meaning comes from in and mate, "friend or companion." By the 1830s, inmate had come to mean "one confined to an institution."
Vocabulary lists containing inmate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Tennessee death row inmate got two doses of a lethal drug but survived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The death row inmate has been caught in a hellish middle ground.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
The female inmate who survived a failed execution in a US prison last week is now conscious and speaking, but her prognosis remains unclear, her lawyers said Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Allegations of Combs’ pampered incarcerated lifestyle emerged just as his release date moved up again, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
“You see her?” he said quietly of a woman holding hands with an inmate at a table.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
In March, Luna asked the National Institute of Corrections to conduct a review of jail conditions after a period in which 10 inmates died in custody in less than three months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Sources told NBC News that Combs pays inmates to clean and cook special meals for him, including curry chicken, pizza and empanadas and that the hip-hop artist also receives Chinese-style massages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Investigators reported finding luxury facilities in Cibinong Prison in Bogor, near Jakarta, allegedly used by favoured inmates during a surprise inspection on 23 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Through his cellmate, Gershkovich learned the rules of Russian prison life, including how to perform various bodily functions in the cramped cell and how to comport himself with other inmates to stay safe.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Dr. Trefusis, who went to minister to Slant, delivers word from the sick-camp that one of the inmates of that place has refused food.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
