Captive

Pronunciation: /ˈkæp.tɪv/

Definitions of captive

noun a person who has been taken prisoner or an animal that has been confined

Example Sentences

A1 The captive bird sang a beautiful song.

A2 The zookeeper fed the captives in the enclosure.

B1 The captive was rescued from the enemy camp.

B2 The captive pleaded for freedom from their captors.

C1 The political captive was released after years of imprisonment.

C2 The captive audience listened intently to the speaker's words.

adjective describing someone or something that is imprisoned or confined

Example Sentences

A1 The captive bird chirped happily in its cage.

A2 The captive audience listened intently to the speaker.

B1 The captive soldier managed to escape from the enemy camp.

B2 The captive dolphin was released back into the ocean after rehabilitation.

C1 The captive journalist was finally freed after months of captivity.

C2 The captive tiger was successfully reintroduced into the wild after being rescued from a circus.

Examples of captive in a Sentence

formal The captive was held in a secure facility until further notice.

informal The captive was locked up in a cell and couldn't escape.

slang The captive was stuck in a jam and couldn't get out.

figurative Her mind felt like a captive to her anxiety, unable to break free.

Grammatical Forms of captive

• past tense: captured
• plural: captives
• comparative: more captive
• superlative: most captive
• present tense: capture
• future tense: will capture
• perfect tense: have captured
• continuous tense: capturing
• singular: captive
• positive degree: captive
• infinitive: to capture
• gerund: capturing
• participle: captured

Origin and Evolution of captive

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'captive' originated from the Latin word 'captivus', which means 'a prisoner of war' or 'a person who has been captured'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'captive' has evolved to refer to any person or animal that is confined or held against their will, not necessarily as a prisoner of war. The term has also been extended to describe situations where someone is under the control or influence of another, such as being captive to one's emotions or circumstances.