1
: a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody
especially
: one on trial or in prison
2
: someone restrained as if in prison
a prisoner of her own conscience
see also take-no-prisoners, take no prisoners
Examples of prisoner in a Sentence
He was captured by rebel forces and kept as their prisoner for several months before they set him free.
The families were held prisoner for four days.
Recent Examples on the Web
The suspect was charged with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder and two counts of battery by prisoners, according to Wisconsin CBS affiliate WSAW.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Adding to that feeling for Holland is the coincidence that the Green Border area is quite close to the former location of Sobibor, a World War II German death camp that was the site of a famous prisoner rebellion and escape.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Her limp body is then dragged back through the facility as prisoners — all Black people — look on in horror from glass cells.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 June 2024
The biggest one, arranged in the fall of 2022, secured the release of 215 Ukrainian prisoners, including senior military officers, in exchange for 55 captives held in Ukraine.
—Simon Shuster/bürgenstock, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for prisoner 
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Adding to that feeling for Holland is the coincidence that the Green Border area is quite close to the former location of Sobibor, a World War II German death camp that was the site of a famous prisoner rebellion and escape.
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Her limp body is then dragged back through the facility as prisoners — all Black people — look on in horror from glass cells.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 June 2024
The biggest one, arranged in the fall of 2022, secured the release of 215 Ukrainian prisoners, including senior military officers, in exchange for 55 captives held in Ukraine.
—Simon Shuster/bürgenstock, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for prisoner
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prisoner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prisoner. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prisoner
noun
pris·on·er
ˈpriz-nər 
-ᵊn-ər
: a person who has been captured or locked up
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