1
a
: taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war
b(1)
: kept within bounds : confined
(2)
: of or relating to captive animals
captive breeding
2
: held under control of another but having the appearance of independence
especially
: owned or controlled by another concern and operated for its needs rather than for an open market
a captive mine
3
: being such involuntarily because of a situation that makes free choice or departure difficult
a captive audience
plural captives
1
: one who has been captured : one taken and held usually in confinement
Something there is in us that finds captivity captivating, particularly when the captives are prisoners of war.—
David Murray
David MurrayHe said that while one of the war-boats was being made ready to take the captives into the lagoon, he and his sister left the camp quietly and got away in their canoe.—Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad2
: one captivated, dominated, or controlled
a captive to love
Unlike so many experts pronouncing on that subject today, though, he has never been a captive of a particular ideology or of a well-heeled interest group.—Uwe E. Reinhardt
Uwe E. ReinhardtCrescent City residents love their culinary customs—too much, according to some critics, who complain that the city's chefs are captives of the past.—Mitch Frank
Mitch FrankSynonyms
Examples of captive in a Sentence
Adjective
The captive soldiers planned their escape.
the captive soldiers were treated humanely by the guards
Noun
the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape
Recent Examples on the Web
Catherine Garcia, theweek, 11 Nov. 2024
The traveler is often captive to the slow-moving, and the marvelous, and the memorable, in strangeness.
—Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
The families of Israeli captives are calling on the Israeli government to reach a deal to secure the release of their relatives, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these calls and is pressing on with military action in the Gaza strip.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for captive 
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Adjective
There is also a section on the American pilots held captive here, and the late Sen. John McCain's flight suit is part of the museum's collection.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 11 Nov. 2024
The traveler is often captive to the slow-moving, and the marvelous, and the memorable, in strangeness.
—Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024
Noun
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday took steps to secure the release of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, offering a $5 million reward per captive to any Palestinian who helps to secure their freedom.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
The families of Israeli captives are calling on the Israeli government to reach a deal to secure the release of their relatives, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these calls and is pressing on with military action in the Gaza strip.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for captive
Dictionary Entries Near captive
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captive. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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