Advertisement

View definitions for captive

captive

adjective as in physically held by force

adjective as in mentally enchanted, held

noun as in person held physically

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The text does not say what could happen in case of delays in freeing the 20 captives believed to be alive.

Read more on BBC

Subprime loans generally make up a relatively small portion of the auto-loan portfolios at banks, captive finance organizations and credit unions.

And Israeli hostage families anxiously await to see their captive relatives return after a months-long struggle in the streets and lobbying world leaders to their cause.

Most existing research comes from laboratory experiments on captive animals, while much less is known about how wild species are affected.

Read more on Science Daily

In the hospital newborns are a captive audience, so it’s easier to get them there than waiting for a later visit, which some may miss.

Advertisement

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement