CAPTIVES Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

captives

noun

plural of captive

as in prisoners

one that has been taken and held in confinement the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape

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Recent Examples of captives Jacob and the Reacher-Green duo are once again captives, being (separately) driven to remote spots for execution. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 In a video widely shared on social media on Monday, a voice threatened to execute the captives if security operations against them continued. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Local authorities did not say how the captives were rescued from the dense, expansive forest of the Kainji Lake National Park. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Mary Ishaya, 44, told the outlet that the captives often went days without food and had to bury other captives who had died. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 The voyage started with 350 captives; almost all died or were kidnapped a second time by pirates. — USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 The captives led the horses out to graze and began to gather water and collect brush for the fires. — Literary Hub, 8 July 2026 The hijackers had threatened to execute the 106 captives if their demands were not met. — Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 It is thought to be the only slave revolution in history where the former captives overthrew their rulers and went on to govern the country themselves. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 12 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for captives

prisoners

Noun

Constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment prohibit deliberate indifference to prisoners’ medical needs.

— Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Offering the Black Panther salute in tribute to the six Black prisoners found dead at Attica Prison, during the funeral held in Brooklyn.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of prisoners

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captives

captivities

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“Captives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captives. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of captives

noun

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