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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.


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

"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 prisoner

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

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.

Families of prisoners and some former prisoners report that conditions inside the jails are inhumane.

From The Wall Street Journal

They were approached by prisoners who told them disturbing things.

From Los Angeles Times

“I felt a huge burden on my shoulders when I left prison that made me feel I owed something to my fellow prisoners who were left behind,” Panahi says.

From Los Angeles Times

Cuba had long denied having active soldiers or security agents inside Venezuela, but freed political prisoners have often claimed they were interrogated by men with Cuban accents while in custody.

From BBC

"At the time that these risk assessments were completed, the prisoners were deemed suitable for open conditions."

From BBC