prisoner of war

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

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of prisoner of war¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

The exchange of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers is one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

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Eventually some German prisoners of war would stay there.

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It was now working with British intelligence officials to bring home downed Allied pilots and escaped prisoners of war.

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It was introduced into Israeli law in 2002 and denies protections typically granted to detainees and prisoners of war.

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Posts showing its fighters handing out aid to civilians were shared by some users, while the paramilitary's media office shared several clips purporting to show the humane treatment of army prisoners of war.

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Related Words

• captive 
• hostage 
• prisoner