adj
Meaning 1
Held prisoner; not free; confined.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
captive
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈkæptɪv/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: K AE1 P T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Subdued by love; charmed; captivated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Of or relating to bondage or confinement; serving to confine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- captive chains; captive hours
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
One held prisoner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
One charmed or subdued by beauty, excellence, or affection; one who is captivated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A captive insurance company, a subsidiary of a company used as its internal insurer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To capture; to take captive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
giving or marked by complete attention to- Walter de la Mare
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- that engrossed look or rapt delight
- then wrapped in dreams
- so intent on this fantastic...narrative that she hardly stirred
- rapt with wonder
- wrapped in thought
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: absorbed, engrossed, enwrapped, intent, wrapped
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 10
being in captivity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: confined, imprisoned, jailed
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
an animal that is confined
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna
noun
Meaning 12
a person held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: emotional person
noun
Meaning 13
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prisoner
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unfortunate, unfortunate person
Narrower terms: convict, con, inmate, yard bird, yardbird, detainee, political detainee, hostage, surety, internee, political prisoner, prisoner of war, POW
History
Etymology
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.
Across languages
Translations
201 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: أَسِير (ʔasīr) — held prisoner
- Arabic: مَحْبُوس (maḥbūs) — held prisoner
- Belarusian: пало́нны (palónny) — held prisoner
- Bulgarian: пленен (plenen) — held prisoner
- Catalan: captiu — held prisoner
- Czech: zajatý — held prisoner
- Dutch: gevangen — held prisoner
- Finnish: vangittu — held prisoner
- French: captif — held prisoner
- German: gefangen — held prisoner
- Hungarian: fogságba esett — held prisoner
- Hungarian: foglyul ejtett — held prisoner
- Hungarian: fogva tartott — held prisoner
- Hungarian: rabul ejtett — held prisoner
- Italian: catturato — held prisoner
- Italian: intrappolato — held prisoner
- Latin: captīvus — held prisoner
- Macedonian: заробен (zaroben) — held prisoner
- Malay: tawanan — held prisoner
- Māori: aromea — held prisoner
- Portuguese: cativo — held prisoner
- Romanian: captiv — held prisoner
- Russian: пле́нный (plénnyj) — held prisoner
- Slovak: zajatý — held prisoner
- Spanish: cautivo — held prisoner
- Spanish: captivo — held prisoner
- Ottoman Turkish: دربند (derbend, derbent) — held prisoner
- Ukrainian: поло́нений (polónenyj) — held prisoner
- Abaza: гъар (ɣar) — a person who has been captured
- Albanian: rob — a person who has been captured
- Arabic: أَسِير (ʔasīr) — a person who has been captured
- Arabic: أَسِيرَة (ʔasīra) — a person who has been captured
- Arabic: مَحْبُوس (maḥbūs) — a person who has been captured
- Arabic: مَحْبُوسَة (maḥbūsa) — a person who has been captured
- Arabic: يسير (yasīr) — a person who has been captured
- Armenian: գերի (geri) — a person who has been captured
- Azerbaijani: əsir — a person who has been captured
- Belarusian: пало́нны (palónny) — a person who has been captured
- Belarusian: пало́нная (palónnaja) — a person who has been captured
- Belarusian: пало́ннік (palónnik) — a person who has been captured
- Belarusian: пало́нніца (palónnica) — a person who has been captured
- Belarusian: вя́зень (vjázjenʹ) — a person who has been captured
- Bengali: বন্দী (bondi) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: пле́нник (plénnik) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: пле́нничка (plénnička) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: пле́нница (plénnica) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: затво́рник (zatvórnik) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: затво́рничка (zatvórnička) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: затво́рница (zatvórnica) — a person who has been captured
- Catalan: captiu — a person who has been captured
- Chinese Mandarin: 俘虜 /俘虏 (fúlǔ) — a person who has been captured
- East Circassian: гъэр (ğɛr) — a person who has been captured
- West Circassian: гъэр (ğɛr) — a person who has been captured
- Czech: zajatec — a person who has been captured
- Czech: zajatkyně — a person who has been captured
- Danish: fange — a person who has been captured
- Dutch: gevangene — a person who has been captured
- Estonian: vang — a person who has been captured
- Finnish: vanki — a person who has been captured
- French: captif — a person who has been captured
- French: captive — a person who has been captured
- Galician: cativo — a person who has been captured
- Georgian: ტყვე (ṭq̇ve) — a person who has been captured
- German: Gefangener — a person who has been captured
- German: Gefangene — a person who has been captured
- Greek: δεσμώτης (desmótis) — a person who has been captured
- Ancient Greek: αἰχμάλωτος (aikhmálōtos) — a person who has been captured
- Hebrew: שָׁבוּי (shavúy) — a person who has been captured
- Hebrew: שְׁבוּיָה — a person who has been captured
- Hindi: बंदी (bandī) — a person who has been captured
- Hindi: असीर (asīr) — a person who has been captured
- Hungarian: fogoly — a person who has been captured
- Irish: cime — a person who has been captured
- Irish: príosúnach — a person who has been captured
- Irish: braighdeanach — a person who has been captured
- Irish: broid — a person who has been captured
- Italian: prigioniero — a person who has been captured
- Japanese: 俘虜 — a person who has been captured
- Japanese: とりこ (toriko) — a person who has been captured
- Kazakh: тұтқын (tūtqyn) — a person who has been captured
- Khmer: ឈ្លើយ (chləəy) — a person who has been captured
- Korean: 포로 (poro) — a person who has been captured
- Central Kurdish: دیل (dîl) — a person who has been captured
- Northern Kurdish: dîl — a person who has been captured
- Northern Kurdish: êsîr — a person who has been captured
- Northern Kurdish: girtî — a person who has been captured
- Kyrgyz: туткун (tutkun) — a person who has been captured
- Lao: ຊະເລີຍ (sa lœ̄i) — a person who has been captured
- Lao: ເຊີຍ (sœ̄i) — a person who has been captured
- Latin: captīvus — a person who has been captured
- Latin: captus — a person who has been captured
- Latvian: gūsteknis — a person who has been captured
- Latvian: sagūstītais — a person who has been captured
- Lithuanian: belaisvis — a person who has been captured
- Macedonian: заробеник (zarobenik) — a person who has been captured
- Macedonian: заробеничка (zarobenička) — a person who has been captured
- Macedonian: заробеница (zarobenica) — a person who has been captured
- Malay: orang tawanan — a person who has been captured
- Maltese: isir — a person who has been captured
- Maltese: maqbud — a person who has been captured
- Manchu: ᠣᠯᠵᡳ (olji) — a person who has been captured
- Māori: whakarau — a person who has been captured
- Mongolian: хоригдол (xorigdol) — a person who has been captured
- Nahuatl: malli — a person who has been captured
- Navajo: yisnááh — a person who has been captured
- Norwegian Bokmål: fange — a person who has been captured
- Old English: hæft — a person who has been captured
- Pashto: اسير (asír) — a person who has been captured
- Pashto: بندي (bandí) — a person who has been captured
- Persian: اسیر (asir) — a person who has been captured
- Persian: بندی (bandi) — a person who has been captured
- Plautdietsch: Jefangna — a person who has been captured
- Polish: jeniec — a person who has been captured
- Polish: więzień — a person who has been captured
- Polish: więźniarka — a person who has been captured
- Portuguese: cativo — a person who has been captured
- Romanian: captiv — a person who has been captured
- Romanian: prizonier — a person who has been captured
- Russian: пле́нный (plénnyj) — a person who has been captured
- Russian: пле́нная (plénnaja) — a person who has been captured
- Russian: пле́нник (plénnik) — a person who has been captured
- Russian: пле́нница (plénnica) — a person who has been captured
- Russian: у́зник (úznik) — a person who has been captured
- Russian: у́зница (úznica) — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: су̑жањ — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: заробљѐнӣк — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: заробљѐница — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: sȗžanj — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: zarobljènīk — a person who has been captured
- Serbo-Croatian: zarobljènica — a person who has been captured
- Slovak: zajatec — a person who has been captured
- Slovak: zajatkyňa — a person who has been captured
- Slovene: ujetnik — a person who has been captured
- Slovene: ujetnica — a person who has been captured
- Spanish: cautivo — a person who has been captured
- Spanish: captivo — a person who has been captured
- Swedish: fånge — a person who has been captured
- Tagalog: bihag — a person who has been captured
- Tajik: асир (asir) — a person who has been captured
- Tajik: бандизан (bandizan) — a person who has been captured
- Tatar: әсир (äsir) — a person who has been captured
- Thai: เชลย (chá-ləəi) — a person who has been captured
- Turkish: esir — a person who has been captured
- Ottoman Turkish: اسیر (esir) — a person who has been captured
- Ottoman Turkish: طالاق (dalak) — a person who has been captured
- Turkmen: ýesir — a person who has been captured
- Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎒𐎗 (ảsr) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: полоне́ний (polonényj) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: полоне́на (polonéna) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: бра́нець (bránecʹ) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: бра́нка (bránka) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: в'я́зень (vʺjázenʹ) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: полоня́нин (polonjányn) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: полоня́нка (polonjánka) — a person who has been captured
- Ukrainian: полоне́ник (polonényk) — a person who has been captured
- Urdu: اسیر (asīr) — a person who has been captured
- Urdu: بندی (bandī) — a person who has been captured
- Uyghur: ئەسىر (esir) — a person who has been captured
- Uzbek: asir — a person who has been captured
- Uzbek: tutkun — a person who has been captured
- Uzbek: bandi — a person who has been captured
- Vietnamese: người tù binh — a person who has been captured
- Yiddish: געפֿאַנגענער (gefangener) — a person who has been captured
- Bulgarian: затво́рник (zatvórnik) — a person held prisoner
- Bulgarian: затво́рничка (zatvórnička) — a person held prisoner
- Bulgarian: затво́рница (zatvórnica) — a person held prisoner
- Cherokee: ᎠᏴᎩ (ayvgi) — a person held prisoner
- Czech: zajatec — a person held prisoner
- Czech: zajatkyně — a person held prisoner
- Dutch: gevangene — a person held prisoner
- Esperanto: kaptito — a person held prisoner
- Esperanto: malliberulo — a person held prisoner
- Finnish: vanki — a person held prisoner
- German: Gefangener — a person held prisoner
- Irish: cime — a person held prisoner
- Italian: prigioniero — a person held prisoner
- Nahuatl: malli — a person held prisoner
- Navajo: yisnááh — a person held prisoner
- Persian: اسیر (asir) — a person held prisoner
- Plautdietsch: Jefangna — a person held prisoner
- Polish: więzień — a person held prisoner
- Polish: jeniec — a person held prisoner
- Portuguese: prisioneiro — a person held prisoner
- Russian: пле́нник (plénnik) — a person held prisoner
- Russian: пле́нница (plénnica) — a person held prisoner
- Russian: у́зник (úznik) — a person held prisoner
- Russian: у́зница (úznica) — a person held prisoner
- Serbo-Croatian: заробљѐнӣк — a person held prisoner
- Serbo-Croatian: заробљѐница — a person held prisoner
- Serbo-Croatian: zarobljènīk — a person held prisoner
- Serbo-Croatian: zarobljènica — a person held prisoner
- Slovak: zajatec — a person held prisoner
- Slovak: zajatkyňa — a person held prisoner
- Spanish: preso — a person held prisoner
- Swahili: ghanima — a person held prisoner
- Thai: เชลย (chá-ləəi) — a person held prisoner
- Turkish: esir — a person held prisoner
- Turkish: mahkum — a person held prisoner
- Turkish: tutuklu — a person held prisoner
- Turkish: hükümlü — a person held prisoner
- Ottoman Turkish: اسیر (esir) — a person held prisoner
Real reading context