inmate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
someone who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people with mental illnesses.
a person confined to a prison, reformatory, or psychiatric institution.
Simple“The inmates are allowed to spend two hours outside in the yard every day.”
In context“The new warden implemented a series of vocational programmes designed to help inmates develop marketable skills before their release.”
UsageThe term is most frequently applied to those in correctional facilities.
Teacher's tipWhile historically used for hospital patients, modern usage almost exclusively refers to people in prison. Using it for a hospital patient today might sound insensitive or imply they are being held against their will.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
a person who lives in the same house or building as you.
a person who shares a residence with others, such as a lodger or a student in a dormitory.
Simple“The old house was large enough to accommodate several inmates comfortably.”
In context“In the nineteenth-century novel, the protagonist describes the various inmates of the boarding house with a mixture of affection and pity.”
UsageIn modern English, 'housemate' or 'resident' has replaced this sense.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern speech and is primarily found in older literature. Students should be careful not to use it in daily life, as it now carries a strong connotation of being in prison.
“Then there are questions about what’d happen after inmates in Kosovo finish their sentence (Reform would put a lifetime ban on returning to the U.K.).”
“Inmates say it is "rewarding" to create artwork and sell it online with the help of a charity.”