captive
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who has been captured and is being kept as a prisoner.
n.a person who is held in confinement or under the control of another, typically during a war or conflict.
Simple“The soldiers released the captive after the peace treaty was signed.”
In context“The humanitarian organisation negotiated for months to ensure the safe return of every captive held behind enemy lines.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.kept as a prisoner or not allowed to go where you want.
adj.held in confinement or restrained from liberty; often used to describe an audience that has no choice but to listen.
Simple“The passengers were a captive audience for the pilot's long stories.”
In context“The zoo was criticised for keeping large mammals in a captive environment that failed to mimic their natural roaming grounds.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.feeling very attracted to or interested in someone or something.
adj.metaphorically subdued or enthralled by beauty, affection, or excellence.
Simple“He stood captive to her beauty from the moment they met.”
In context“The young poet remained captive to the rugged beauty of the cliffs, returning every summer to find fresh inspiration.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
v.an old word meaning to catch or take someone as a prisoner.
v.to take someone into confinement or to capture them. This verbal form is now largely replaced by 'capture' or 'captivate' in modern contexts.
Simple“The knight sought to captive his enemies during the great battle.”
In context“In the ancient chronicles, it is written that the king did captive the rebels and held them in the high tower for many years.”
“A gunman can be heard speaking in the Hausa language directly to families of the captives, telling them to identify their relatives.”
“Photograph: AP It used to be called monkeypox, because the virus was first discovered in captive monkeys in 1958.”
Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.