prisoner of war

noun phrase

: a person captured in war

especially : a member of the armed forces of a nation who is taken by the enemy during combat

Examples of prisoner of war in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the early 1550s, Orsini left home to fight in a war against France, but he was captured and held as a prisoner of war. —Lanta Davis and Vince Reighard, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024

In 1944 Jefferson was shot down over southern France during a mission, captured by Nazi forces, and for nine months held as a prisoner of war. —Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024

At the end of the Second World War, the French composer, who had been held for a year in a prisoner of war camp, found his wife had had a mental breakdown and was in declining health. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024

Ukrainian prisoners of war after a swap in Ukraine. —Reuters, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

prisoner of war

: a member of the armed forces of a nation who has been captured by the enemy

Legal Definition

prisoner of war

: a person captured in war

especially : a member of the armed forces of a nation who is taken by the enemy during combat

Note: Under the Third Geneva Convention, a person is a prisoner of war if he or she falls in one of the following categories: 1) a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict or of a militia or volunteer corps that is part of the armed forces; 2) a member of another militia or volunteer corps who is a lawful combatant; 3) a member of regular armed forces who profess allegiance to a government or authority not recognized by his or her captor; 4) a person who accompanies the armed forces but is not a member of it provided they have proper authority to accompany it; 5) members of the merchant marine and crews of civil aircraft who do not fall under more favorable designations under international law; and 6) inhabitants of territory facing approach of the enemy who spontaneously resist invasion and carry arms openly and respect the laws of war. Prisoners of war are entitled to certain rights (as to humane treatment) under the Convention. Two further categories of people entitled to treatment as prisoners of war are 1) persons belonging or having belonged to the armed forces of an occupied country who were liberated but have been confined especially when they have tried to rejoin the armed forces or have not complied with a summons attempting to confine them; and 2) persons falling under any of the categories of those entitled to treatment as prisoners of war who are received by neutral countries that are required to confine them by international law, with certain exceptions specified in the Convention.