prisoner
- 01 B1 Intermediate
someone who is kept in a prison because they have committed a crime or are waiting for a trial.
a person legally incarcerated in a prison while awaiting trial or serving a sentence.
Simple“The prisoner was released from jail after serving ten years for his crime.”
In context“The facility was designed to house high-security prisoners who required constant supervision by armed guards.”
Usageoften used with the verbs 'take', 'hold', or 'release'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a person who is captured and kept in a place by an enemy or a criminal.
any individual held in captivity or under restraint by an opposing force or captor.
Simple“The soldiers were taken prisoner during the battle and held for several months.”
In context“Rebel forces claimed to have taken several high-ranking officials prisoner during the overnight raid on the capital.”
Usagefrequently appears in the phrase 'take someone prisoner'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
someone who feels they cannot escape a difficult situation, like a bad job or a habit.
a person who is or feels metaphorically confined or restricted by specific circumstances or psychological states.
Simple“She felt like a prisoner in her own home because she was too ill to go outside.”
In context“Many employees feel like prisoners of their high salaries, unable to leave stressful roles because of their financial commitments.”
Usage prisoner early · prisoners of war · prisoners released
From Middle English prisoner, from Old French prisonier (compare Medieval Latin prisōnārius), equivalent to prison + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.