captive
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captive
- /ˈkæptɪv/
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”).
Doublet of caitiff.
noun captives
- One who has been captured or is otherwise confined. I envy not in any moods The captive void of noble rage, The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer woods: […]
- One held prisoner.
- One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.
- A captive insurance company, a subsidiary of a company used as its internal insurer.
adjective
- Held prisoner; not free; confined. A poor, miserable, captive thrall.
- Subdued by love; charmed; captivated. Even in so short a space, my woman's heart / Grossly grew captive to his honey words.
- Of or relating to bondage or confinement; serving to confine. captive chains; captive hours
Opposite: non-captive, noncaptive
verb captives · captiving · captived
- To capture; to take captive.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: prisoner, confined, unfree, imprisoned, jailed, captivity, detainee, inmate, abducted, kidnaped, kidnapped, thrall, hostage, guest, redeemed, proprietary
adjective
Opposite: non-captive, noncaptive
Translations
Every language
noun a person who has been captured
| Español | cautivo, captivo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 포로 poro |
| 日本語 | 俘虜, とりこ toriko |
| 中文 | 俘虜 /俘虏 fúlǔ |
| हिन्दी | बंदी bandī, असीर asīr |
| Português | cativo |
| Français | captif, captive |
| Deutsch | Gefangener, Gefangene |
| Italiano | prigioniero |
| Ελληνικά | δεσμώτης desmótis |
| Română | captiv, prizonier |
| Русский | пле́нный plénnyj, пле́нная plénnaja, пле́нник plénnik, пле́нница plénnica, у́зник úznik, у́зница úznica |
| Tiếng Việt | người tù binh |
| العربية | أَسِير ʔasīr, أَسِيرَة ʔasīra, مَحْبُوس maḥbūs, مَحْبُوسَة maḥbūsa |
| עברית | שָׁבוּי shavúy, שְׁבוּיָה |
noun a person held prisoner
| Español | preso |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | ghanima |
| Português | prisioneiro |
| Deutsch | Gefangener |
| Italiano | prigioniero |
| Русский | пле́нник plénnik, пле́нница plénnica, у́зник úznik, у́зница úznica |
Talk about this word "captive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/captive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. captive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/captive "captive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/captive.Cite this
@misc{captive_2026,
title = {captive},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/captive},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
