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Synonyms

prisoner of war

American  

noun

  1. a person who is captured and held by an enemy during war, especially a member of the armed forces. POW

prisoner of war British  

noun

  1.  POW.  a person, esp a serviceman, captured by an enemy in time 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 of war

First recorded in 1670–80

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.

It was widely believed that the soldiers posted at Rezang La had either run away from the battle or had been taken as prisoners of war.

From BBC

"I'm a president and prisoner of war," he shouted towards the man in the audience in Spanish.

From BBC

That pact said that Thailand would "promptly release" the captured Cambodian soldiers, calling them "prisoners of war".

From Barron's

A World War Two veteran who fought in Normandy as a teenager before becoming a prisoner of war has died at the age of 100, a charity said.

From BBC

Two North Korean prisoners of war held by Ukraine have expressed their desire to start a "new life" in South Korea, according to a letter seen by AFP on Wednesday.

From Barron's

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.