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View synonyms for

captive

[ kap-tiv ]

noun

  1. a prisoner.
  2. a person who is enslaved or dominated:

    He is the captive of his own fears.



adjective

  1. made or held prisoner, especially in war:

    captive troops.

  2. kept in confinement or restraint:

    captive animals.

  3. enslaved by love, beauty, etc.; captivated:

    her captive beau.

  4. of or relating to a captive.
  5. managed as an affiliate or subsidiary of a corporation and operated almost exclusively for the use or needs of the parent corporation rather than independently for the general public:

    a captive shop;

    a captive mine.

captive

/ ˈæɪ /

noun

  1. a person or animal that is confined or restrained, esp a prisoner of war
  2. a person whose behaviour is dominated by some emotion

    a captive of love

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. held as prisoner
  2. held under restriction or control; confined

    captive water held behind a dam

  3. captivated; enraptured
  4. unable by circumstances to avoid speeches, advertisements, etc (esp in the phrase captive audience )
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz··پ adjective
  • ···پ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of captive1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English or directly from Middle French, from Latin īܲ, equivalent to capt(us) “taken” (past participle of capere “to take”) + -īܲ adjective suffix ( -ive )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of captive1

C14: from Latin īܲ, from capere to take
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Investigators also found a body wrapped in plastic and freed two captives.

From

African captives turned American captives often remained as such when society transitioned from enslavement to Jim Crow.

From

Homicide detectives later determined that the assailants entered Modebadze’s home, assaulted him, held him captive and stole his property, according to a statement issued by LAPD.

From

And, he said, while many of these captive microbes are dead, plenty of them are not.

From

The hostages were beaten while being held captive and later released.

From

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captivatingcaptive audience