1. a person who is kept in a prison as punishment for a crime
2. a person who is captured and held by an enemy during a war
Usage: military
3. a person who is trapped or confined by circumstances
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The prisoner was released after serving ten years.
• Three prisoners escaped from the county jail last night.
• The soldiers were taken as prisoners of war.
• She felt like a prisoner in her own home.
• The prisoner appeared before the judge for sentencing.
• Red Cross officials visited the prisoners to check their conditions.
• He became a prisoner of his own success and couldn’t enjoy life.