Captive: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when referring to someone who is forcibly kept somewhere against their will, especially in a context of war or kidnapping. It can also describe animals in confinement.

• The soldier became a captive during the battle
• The zoo helps animals born in captivity

Commonly used to describe anyone who is confined in a prison or jail, often after being convicted of a crime.

• The prisoner was sentenced to ten years
• The prisoners planned an escape

Appropriate when speaking about someone who is held in custody by authorities, often without formal charges, possibly for questioning or suspicion of a crime. This term is often used in legal and political contexts.

• The detainee was held for 24 hours before being released
• Many detainees were kept in poor conditions

Used to refer to someone living in an institution such as a prison, psychiatric hospital, or similar place for an extended period.

• The inmate spent five years in prison
• She became friends with her fellow inmates

Used when someone or something is being held by force and cannot escape, often in a literal sense such as a prisoner of war or an animal in a cage.

• The zoologists studied the behavior of the captive tiger
• The soldiers rescued the captive hostages

Specifically refers to being held in a prison or similar type of detention, often related to legal punishment.

• The criminal was imprisoned for his crimes
• She felt as if she were imprisoned in her own home

Describes someone or something restricted or limited within certain boundaries. It can be used in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

• The patients were confined to their rooms to prevent the spread of infection
• She felt confined by the expectations of her family

Implies being caught in a situation or place from which escape is difficult or impossible, can be used in both literal and metaphorical senses.

• The hikers were trapped in the snowstorm
• He felt trapped in a job he did not like