Other forms: prisoners
A prisoner is somebody locked up, whether as punishment or as a captive. A prisoner in a cell, take somebody prisoner, prisoners of war.
The word covers both convicted people and captives, which is why prisoner of war is one phrase and not two ideas. In British prisons the official term is now prisoner or resident rather than inmate, which is more American. Note take no prisoners, meaning to act ruthlessly and give nobody any quarter, which comes from a literal military practice and is now used about negotiations and management styles.
1nounprisonerSomebody kept locked up.
“The prisoner had served eleven of a fourteen-year sentence.”
2nouncapturedSomebody captured in war.
“Four hundred prisoners were taken in a single day.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
prisoner is somebody held captive.
Also accepted in games: inmate
Old French
prisonier
Middle English
prisoner
English, today
prisoner
From Middle English prisoner, from Old French prisonier (compare Medieval Latin prisōnārius), equivalent to prison + -er.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA