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.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, Moscow and Kyiv said, a week after US President Donald Trump announced a large swap would take place between the warring sides.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war on Friday, hours after rescue workers ended their search of a destroyed block of flats in Kyiv in which 24 people were killed, including three girls.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Rodriguez, who served as Maduro's vice president, has also pushed through an amnesty law that led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners, though some 500 remain behind bars.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

On Friday evening, Trump announced that Putin and Zelensky agreed to a three-day truce starting Saturday, along with an exchange of 1,000 prisoners.

From Slate • May 9, 2026

Several prisoners were standing in line at a large desk.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom