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Synonyms

inmate

American  
[in-meyt] / ˈɪnˌmeɪt /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inmate

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

Compare meaning

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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.

Nearly 30 inmates, selected for good behavior, donned tuxedos with pink boutonnieres and waited as daughters, some dressed in formal gowns, were led into the prison’s Bible college transformed into a makeshift dance hall.

From Salon

Union official Ahmed Saih, who represents prison officers at the jail, told AFP on Thursday that the inmates used "old-fashioned, manual saw blades".

From Barron's

In 2019, as Los Angeles was experiencing the coldest February in decades, two units that housed more than 200 inmates at the Terminal Island facility lost heat after an underground steam line failed.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

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.

From Barron's