prisoner

noun

PRIZ-uh-nur/ˈpɹɪzənɚ/UKPRIZ-uh-nuh/ˈpɹɪzənə/

Pluralprisoners

3 meanings of prisoner

1
nouncountable
Someone kept in a prison, either waiting for a trial or as punishment for a crime.
The prisoner was allowed one phone call each week.
Guards walked the prisoners back to their cells after dinner.
Similarinmate, captive, convict
2
nouncountable
Someone who is held by another person or group and cannot leave.
The soldiers took the pilot prisoner after his plane went down.
The kidnappers kept their prisoner in a small locked room.
Similarcaptive, detainee
Oppositecaptor
3
nouncountable
Someone who feels stuck in a situation that they cannot change or escape.
Like a bird in a cage that can see outside but cannot fly away.
After the accident, she felt like a prisoner in her own home.
He became a prisoner of his busy schedule, with no time left for friends.
Similarslave, captive, hostage

Practice

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Origin

From Old French prisonier, made from the word for prison plus the ending -er.