Captive
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈkæptɪv/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Captive is a noun meaning One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
Meaning
One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
More Meanings
- One held prisoner.
- (figurative) One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.
- A captive insurance company, a subsidiary of a company used as its internal insurer.
- Held prisoner; not free; confined.
- Subdued by love; charmed; captivated.
- Of or relating to bondage or confinement; serving to confine.
- (transitive, archaic) To capture; to take captive.
Example Sentences
captive chains; captive hours
A poor, miserable, captive thrall.
Even in so short a space, my woman's heart / Grossly grew captive to his honey words.
I envy not in any moods The captive void of noble rage, The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer woods: […]
Word Forms
- captives
- captiving
- captived
Synonyms for captive
Depending on context, synonyms include confined, unfree, prisoner, imprisoned, jailed.
Antonyms for captive
Common opposites include non-captive.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include prisoner, confined, unfree, imprisoned, jailed, captivity.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.