as in imprisoned
taken and held prisoner
the captive soldiers were treated humanely by the guards
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as in prisoner
one that has been taken and held in confinement
the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape
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Recent Examples of captive
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2025
More than 90 people continue to be held captive in Gaza.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2025
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
The initial phase will last a 42-day period with hostages being incrementally released, including three captives that will be freed on the first day that the deal is implemented.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for captive 
Adjective
But the study, which involved 20 captive chimpanzees at the Kumamoto Sanctuary at Kyoto University, does suggest that when one chimp urinates, others urinate too.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2025
More than 90 people continue to be held captive in Gaza.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
The families of the captives are on edge, cautious but optimistic their loved ones will be returned.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
The initial phase will last a 42-day period with hostages being incrementally released, including three captives that will be freed on the first day that the deal is implemented.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for captive
Thesaurus Entries Near captive
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
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