: any of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a prison or hospital)
Examples of inmate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two of the inmates who received commutations, Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, filed petitions to reject the clemency action earlier this month, arguing that accepting it could hinder their appeals.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
About 470 inmates were evacuated from one of the three facilities on the campus and moved to another part of the detention center, the sheriff said.
—Brandon Miller, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025
State prisons, including San Quentin in Marin County where serious felons are housed, are allowed to release inmates to federal officers.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
Anti-death penalty activists, including a priest who counsels death row inmates, are campaigning for clemency, arguing that the church's stance contradicts Christian teachings.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for inmate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
1609, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near inmate
Cite this Entry
“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: a member of a group living in a single residence
especially
: a person kept in an institution (as a hospital or prison)
Medical Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: one of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a psychiatric hospital) especially for a long time
Legal Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: a person confined in an institution (as a prison or hospital)
More from Merriam-Webster on inmate
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inmate
Nglish: Translation of inmate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of inmate for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share