captive

1 of 2

adjective

cap·​tive ˈkap-tiv 

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

captive

2 of 2

noun

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

He 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

2

: 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

Crescent 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

Synonyms

Adjective

• apprehended
• arrested
• captured
• caught
• confined
• imprisoned
• incarcerated
• interned
• jailed

Noun

• capture
• internee
• prisoner

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

Adjective

Mother of Austin Tice sees hope for his release from Syria The mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in 2012, voiced hope on Sunday that upheaval in Syria will lead to freedom for her son. —Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024

Carter’s approval rating was 31% in November 1980, when 52 Americans were held captive during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. —Ray Lewis, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024

Noun

The captives left behind at ESMA suspected that some terrible fate had befallen their comrades. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024

According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group for captives and their families, Omer's body remains in Hamas' custody. —NBC News, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin captivus, from captus, past participle of capere

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing captive

• captive audience

Kids Definition

captive

1 of 2 adjective

cap·​tive

ˈkap-tiv

1

: taken and held prisoner especially in war

2

: held or confined so as to prevent escape

a captive animal

3

: in a situation that makes free choice or leaving difficult

the airline passengers were a captive audience

captivity

kap-ˈtiv-ət-ē

noun

captive

2 of 2 noun

: one that is captive : prisoner