inmate

[in-meyt]

noun

1. a person who is confined in a prison, hospital, etc.

2. Archaic.,  a person who dwells with others in the same house.

inmate

/ ˈɪnˌmeɪt /

noun

1. a person who is confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital See also resident

2. obsolete,  a person who lives with others in a house

Word History and Origins

Origin of inmate¹

First recorded in 1580–90; in- ¹ + mate ¹

Example Sentences

It's smaller than the prisons I've previously visited - the Victorian men's prisons house hundreds more inmates.

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The man is said to have served at a prisoner of war camp in Hemer, western Germany, which held at least 100,000 inmates, mostly from the Soviet Union.

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HASAKAH, Syria—In a wing of the notorious Al Sina prison in northeastern Syria, where some of the world’s most dangerous inmates are held, guards wearing balaclavas stood along a corridor lined with cells.

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State authorities say inmates may use the strong-smelling condiment to disguise contraband substances or brew alcohol behind bars.

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Days before Sunday’s referendum, officials said more than 30 inmates were killed—many hanged—by rivals in a prison in the city of Machala.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• convict 
• prisoner