# inmate

/ˈɪnˌmeɪt/ (US) · /ˈɪnmeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/inmate
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. prisoner

noun · CEFR B2

someone who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people with mental illnesses.

For teachers: a person confined to a prison, reformatory, or psychiatric institution.

- The inmates are allowed to spend two hours outside in the yard every day.
- The new warden implemented a series of vocational programmes designed to help inmates develop marketable skills before their release.

Usage: The term is most frequently applied to those in correctional facilities.

Teaching tip: While 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.

### 2. fellow resident

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a person who lives in the same house or building as you.

For teachers: a person who shares a residence with others, such as a lodger or a student in a dormitory.

- The old house was large enough to accommodate several inmates comfortably.
- In the nineteenth-century novel, the protagonist describes the various inmates of the boarding house with a mixture of affection and pity.

Usage: In modern English, 'housemate' or 'resident' has replaced this sense.

Teaching tip: This 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.

## Examples

- The inmates spend two hours outside every day.
- The prison governor introduced a new vocational program to help inmates gain skills for life after their release.
- Advocates for reform argue that reducing the number of inmates in overcrowded facilities is essential for maintaining basic human rights and ensuring effective rehabilitation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.