captive
KAP-tihv
Captive (noun) means a person who has been captured and is being held prisoner. Example: “The captives were released after months of negotiation.”
noun
1
A person who has been captured and is being held prisoner.
"The captives were released after months of negotiation."
"In the film, the captive tried to loosen the ropes while the guards slept."
"The kidnappers kept their captive in a locked cellar until help arrived."
adj
1
Held prisoner, confined, or unable to leave.
"The captive animals paced restlessly along the fence line."
"A captive audience has nowhere else to go, so the speaker has their full attention."
"The captive bird beat its wings against the bars of the small cage."
How to use captive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone or something held prisoner, or unable to leave or escape a situation.
Common pairings
held captive
captive audience
captive animal
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Word forms
- Plural
- captives
- Third person singular
- captives
- Past tense
- captived
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ were released after months of negotiation.
Etymology
From Latin captivus, "taken prisoner," from capio, "to seize" — a distant cousin of "capture" and "captor."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
non-captive
noncaptive
Related words
Rhymes for captive
See all rhymes for captive →Frequently asked questions
What does “captive” mean?
The word “captive” means a person who has been captured and is being held prisoner. In plain terms, someone or something held prisoner, or unable to leave or escape a situation.
How do you pronounce “captive”?
“Captive” is pronounced KAP-tihv (/ˈkæptɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “captive” in a sentence?
Here is “captive” used in a sentence: “The captives were released after months of negotiation.”
What is the opposite of “captive”?
The opposite of “captive” — its antonyms — are non-captive and noncaptive.
What part of speech is “captive”?
Depending on how it is used, “captive” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “captive” come from?
The word “captive” comes from Latin. From Latin captivus, "taken prisoner," from capio, "to seize" — a distant cousin of "capture" and "captor.".
Is “captive” a common word?
“Captive” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “captive” have?
“Captive” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who has been captured and is being held prisoner.
What is the difference between a captive and a prisoner?
A captive is a person who has been captured and is being held prisoner, a term often used in broader or more general contexts, including animals or people held informally. Prisoner more specifically implies formal confinement, such as in a jail or as a result of legal process.
What does it mean to hold someone captive?
To hold someone captive means to keep them confined or unable to leave, matching the adjective sense of captive as held prisoner or confined. This can apply to literal physical confinement or, more loosely, to being unable to escape a situation.
What is a captive audience?
A captive audience refers to a group of people who are unable to leave a situation, using captive in its adjective sense of confined or unable to leave. The term is often used to describe listeners who must pay attention because they have no choice, such as passengers or students.
