prisoner
B1Neutral (used in formal, legal, and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
A person who is legally held in prison as a punishment for a crime they have committed.
A person who is captured and held against their will, often in a conflict or as a captive of a particular situation, feeling, or condition.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a person deprived of liberty, either by the state's justice system or by a captor. Can be used metaphorically to describe someone constrained by circumstances, emotions, or obligations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in primary meaning. The term 'prisoner of war' (POW) is standard in both. UK tends to use 'prisoner' more often in official/legal contexts (e.g., 'prisoner officer'), whereas US may sometimes use 'inmate' interchangeably in administrative prison contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries the core connotations of punishment, captivity, and loss of freedom.
Frequency
Very common in both varieties. 'Prisoner' is the standard, universal term.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
prisoner of (a place/institution/emotion)prisoner to (a habit/system)prisoner in (one's own home/mind)prisoner for (a crime/duration)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take no prisoners (to be ruthlessly determined)”
- “prisoner of one's own conscience/emotions/past”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used directly. May appear in reports on corporate crime (e.g., 'the former executive became a prisoner').
Academic
Common in legal, criminology, political science, and history texts (e.g., 'the treatment of prisoners of war').
Everyday
Very common in news, conversation, and media to refer to incarcerated individuals or metaphorically (e.g., 'I feel like a prisoner in this job').
Technical
Specific legal/penal terminology: 'remand prisoner', 'Category A prisoner', 'prisoner classification'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The prisoner escaped from the jail last night.
- He was a prisoner for ten years.
- The soldiers took several enemy fighters prisoner.
- She felt like a prisoner in her own home during the lockdown.
- The debate centred on the rehabilitation of long-term prisoners.
- He was a prisoner of his own rigid beliefs.
- The regime was notorious for holding political prisoners without trial.
- She argued that consumerism had made them all prisoners to debt.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A person in a PRISON is a PRISONER. The '-er' suffix indicates 'one who is in/does something' (like teacher, runner).
Conceptual Metaphor
PRISONER AS A CAPTIVE OF CIRCUMSTANCE (e.g., 'prisoner of love', 'prisoner of hope'). LIFE/EMOTIONS/SITUATIONS AS A PRISON.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'заключённый' which is a direct equivalent. 'Prisoner' is broader and includes metaphorical use (e.g., 'prisoner of war' = 'военнопленный'). Avoid using 'преступник' (criminal) as a direct synonym, as it focuses on the crime, not the state of captivity.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'prisoner' to refer to the building ('prison' is the building). Incorrect: *'He was sent to the prisoner.' Correct: 'He was sent to prison/became a prisoner.' Confusing 'prisoner' with 'hostage' (hostage is specifically held for demands).
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is 'prisoner' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its primary meaning is someone legally imprisoned, it is also used for anyone held captive (e.g., prisoner of war) and metaphorically for someone constrained by a situation or emotion.
'Prisoner' is the broadest term for anyone deprived of liberty. 'Inmate' is often used administratively for someone housed in an institution (prison, asylum). 'Convict' specifically refers to a person found guilty of a crime, especially one serving a sentence.
The pronunciation is very similar. British: /ˈprɪzənə(r)/. American: /ˈprɪzənər/. The main difference is the slight rhoticity (the 'r' sound at the end) in American English.
No, 'prisoner' is only a noun. The related verb is 'imprison' (to make someone a prisoner).