: any of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a prison or hospital)
Examples of inmate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At its peak, Rikers held more than 20,000 inmates, though recent reforms have aimed to reduce its population.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
At least 30 federal inmates first processed in Kentucky for crimes were among the nearly 1,500 who had their sentences commuted Thursday by President Joe Biden, including several facing drug charges or illegally bilking investors out of millions of dollars.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 13 Dec. 2024
Since Biden took office, no federal inmate has been executed.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inmate 
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Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
At least 30 federal inmates first processed in Kentucky for crimes were among the nearly 1,500 who had their sentences commuted Thursday by President Joe Biden, including several facing drug charges or illegally bilking investors out of millions of dollars.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 13 Dec. 2024
Since Biden took office, no federal inmate has been executed.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for inmate
Dictionary Entries Near inmate
Cite this Entry
“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt 
: a member of a group living in a single residence
especially
: a person kept in an institution (as a hospital or prison)
Medical Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: one of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a psychiatric hospital) especially for a long time
Legal Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: a person confined in an institution (as a prison or hospital)
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