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
Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024
Xcel should not be able to charge its captive customers for reduced consumption of its product.
—K.k. Duvivier, The Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2024
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
The captives left behind at ESMA suspected that some terrible fate had befallen their comrades.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for captive 
Adjective
The mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, voiced hope on Sunday that upheaval in Syria will lead to freedom for her son.
—Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024
Xcel should not be able to charge its captive customers for reduced consumption of its product.
—K.k. Duvivier, The Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
Kyiv said the 155th Independent Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet was seen in drone footage shooting dead Ukrainian captives following an attack on Ukraine drone operators on October 10.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
The captives left behind at ESMA suspected that some terrible fate had befallen their comrades.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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 Jan. 2025.
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