Word
prisoner
Phoneticspris·on·er, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɹɪzənɝ/
UK/pɹˈɪzənɐ/
Definitions
01in a jail
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. someone who is kept in a prison because they have committed a crime or are waiting for a trial.
n. a person legally incarcerated in a prison while awaiting trial or serving a sentence.
“The prisoner was released from jail after serving ten years for his crime.”
“The facility was designed to house high-security prisoners who required constant supervision by armed guards.”
Usage
often used with the verbs 'take', 'hold', or 'release'.
02held against their will
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who is captured and kept in a place by an enemy or a criminal.
n. any individual held in captivity or under restraint by an opposing force or captor.
“The soldiers were taken prisoner during the battle and held for several months.”
“Rebel forces claimed to have taken several high-ranking officials prisoner during the overnight raid on the capital.”
Usage
frequently appears in the phrase 'take someone prisoner'.
03trapped by a situation
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. someone who feels they cannot escape a difficult situation, like a bad job or a habit.
n. a person who is or feels metaphorically confined or restricted by specific circumstances or psychological states.
“She felt like a prisoner in her own home because she was too ill to go outside.”
“Many employees feel like prisoners of their high salaries, unable to leave stressful roles because of their financial commitments.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “prisoner” in context.
Verb
01. guard prisoner
“Armed soldiers were assigned to guard the prisoner around the clock.”
verb + noun
02. interrogate prisoner
“Detectives spent hours trying to interrogate the prisoner about the robbery.”
verb + noun
03. prisoner escapes
“Alarms sounded throughout the facility when the prisoner escaped.”
noun + verb
Adjective
04. escaped prisoner
“Police are searching the woods for the escaped prisoner.”
adj + noun
05. fellow prisoner
“He shared his meager rations with a fellow prisoner.”
adj + noun
06. political prisoner
“The organization works to release every political prisoner held without trial.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. exchange of prisoners
“Both nations agreed to an exchange of prisoners at the border.”
noun + prep + noun
08. prisoner early
09. prisoners of war
10. prisoners released
11. hold someone prisoner
“He was held prisoner in a small basement for three months.”
12. prisoner of conscience
“Amnesty International declared the journalist a prisoner of conscience.”
Etymology
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.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/prisoner