# inmate

Pronunciation: say "IN-mayt" /ˈɪn.meɪt/

## Noun

1. Someone living under confinement in an institution, such as a prisoner in a jail or a patient in a hospital.
   - Simple: Someone who is kept in a place like a prison or hospital and cannot leave freely.
   - _The prison transferred the inmate to a higher-security facility after the incident._
   - _Doctors moved the agitated inmate to a quieter ward for observation._
2. A person who shares a residence or other place with others, such as a lodger, a hotel guest, or a student living on campus.
   - Simple: Someone who lives or stays in the same place as other people.
   - _As a long-term inmate of the lodging house, she knew all the other tenants by name._
   - _Each inmate of the small hotel received a key to the front door._

## Noun

3. A person riding within or held inside a vehicle; a passenger. *(rare)*
   - Simple: Someone who rides inside a car, boat, or other vehicle.
   - _Each inmate of the lifeboat was counted before it was lowered to the water._
   - _The coach's inmates complained of the cold during the long night journey._

## Origin

Formed from "inn" plus "-mate," or from "in-" plus "-mate."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/inmate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).