: 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
The sketch recurred eight times between 2008 and 2012, with hosts like Paul Rudd, Taylor Swift, Charles Barkley, and Lindsay Lohan playing either inmates or teens.
—
Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Florida sheriffs and chief correctional officers would also be required to provide any information regarding each inmate’s immigration status if a federal immigration agency requests the information.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
If the execution moves forward, Ford will be the first inmate executed in Florida this year and the fifth in the U.S.
Ford’s lawyers have argued in court filings that the death penalty should not be applied to him because of his developmental issues.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Afterward, the inmates invited us to visit their garden.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for inmate 
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Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Florida sheriffs and chief correctional officers would also be required to provide any information regarding each inmate’s immigration status if a federal immigration agency requests the information.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
If the execution moves forward, Ford will be the first inmate executed in Florida this year and the fifth in the U.S.
Ford’s lawyers have argued in court filings that the death penalty should not be applied to him because of his developmental issues.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Afterward, the inmates invited us to visit their garden.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
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 Feb. 2025.
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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