prisoners

NOUN

person jailed for crime; person kept against his or her will

Synonyms

STRONGEST

captive convict detainee hostage

STRONG

con culprit internee jailbird lag lifer loser tough yardbird

WEAK

chain gang member

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There’s no serious argument that these state officials were blind to the consequences that might come from violating the rights of the prisoners they’re in charge of.

From Slate • Jun. 23, 2026

That law, the high court said, doesn’t allow prisoners to sue officers for money.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

This makes it difficult and time-consuming to match them with the support prisoners need for release or re-entry to society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

Officials have decontaminated the facility’s inmate housing as a precaution and medical staff are monitoring prisoners and staff for possible symptoms, The Mercury News reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Although they were no longer prisoners, their betrayal of the other Nazi saboteurs would stain their freedom.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple