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- DictionaryCap·tive/ˈkaptiv/
noun
- 1. a person who has been taken prisoner or an animal that has been confined: "the captives were freed after the kidnappers told them a ransom had been paid"
adjective
- 1. imprisoned or confined: "the farm was used to hold prisoners of war captive"
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 person or animal whose ability to move or act freely is limited by being kept in a space; a prisoner, especially a person held by the enemy during a war: When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been captives for several years. hold/take someone captive. to keep someone as a prisoner or make someone a prisoner:
captive. / ˈkæptɪv / noun. a person or animal that is confined or restrained, esp a prisoner of war. a person whose behaviour is dominated by some emotion. a captive of love. adjective. held as prisoner. held under restriction or control; confined. captive water held behind a dam. captivated; enraptured.
Synonyms for CAPTIVE: imprisoned, arrested, captured, jailed, interned, incarcerated, confined, kidnapped; Antonyms of CAPTIVE: free, unrestrained, unconfined, released, liberated, freed, emancipated, delivered.
CAPTIVE definition: 1. A captive person or animal is being kept somewhere and is not allowed to leave. 2. a group of…. Learn more.
captive. noun [ C ] us / ˈkæp.tɪv / uk / ˈkæp.tɪv / Add to word list. a person or animal whose ability to move or act freely is limited by being kept in a space; a prisoner, especially a person held by the enemy during a war: When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been captives for several years. hold/take someone captive.
A captive is something that has been captured and can’t escape, like a prisoner of war or a panda in a zoo. To be captured on the battlefield, and held captive is not so great, but captive doesn’t always describe things that are completely bad, like its synonym, hostage.
