- a person who is kept in prison as a punishment, or while they are waiting for trial
- The number of prisoners serving life sentences has fallen.
- They called for the prisoners to be released.
- They are demanding the release of all political prisoners.
- international minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentb1- Over 2 million prisoners are currently incarcerated in the US.
- They were allowed only limited contact with their fellow prisoners.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- virtual
- political
- life
- …
- capture
- take
- detain
- …
- hold somebody prisoner
- keep somebody prisoner
- a prisoner of conscience
- …
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- a person who has been captured, for example by an enemy, and is being kept somewhere
- He was taken prisoner by rebel soldiers.
- They are holding her prisoner and demanding a large ransom.
- For three days they kept him a prisoner.
- (figurative) She is afraid to go out and has become a virtual prisoner in her own home.
- (figurative) He was a prisoner of his own ignorance.
Extra Examples- They had captured over 100 prisoners.
- They were kept prisoner for eight months in a tiny flat.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- virtual
- political
- life
- …
- capture
- take
- detain
- …
- hold somebody prisoner
- keep somebody prisoner
- a prisoner of conscience
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French prisonier, from prison, from Latin prensio(n-), variant of prehensio(n-) ‘laying hold of’, from the verb prehendere.
Check pronunciation:
prisoner