inmate

noun

in·​mate ˈin-ˌmāt How to pronounce inmate (audio)
: any of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially : a person confined (as in a prison or hospital)

Examples of inmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Correctional Service Canada (CSC) announced on Friday, May 31, that Pickton, who was convicted of killing six women and feeding their bodies to pigs on his farm, was assaulted by another inmate at Port-Cartier Institution on May 19. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024 Autopsy results are incomplete for both that inmate, 35-year-old Chasity Bonner, and Johnson. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2024 The inmate – identified as 37-year-old Daniel Lopez Zavala – clambered over an 8-foot-tall barbed-wire fence just before 2 a.m., the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office said in an advisory. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024 Authorities in Louisiana are searching for four inmates who escaped from the Tangipahoa Parish Jail, just north of New Orleans — and three of the four are homicide suspects, the parish sheriff's office says. Brian Dakss, CBS News, 27 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for inmate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inmate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inmate was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near inmate

Cite this Entry

“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

inmate

noun
in·​mate ˈin-ˌmāt How to pronounce inmate (audio)
: a member of a group living in a single residence
especially : a person kept in an institution (as a hospital or prison)

Medical Definition

inmate

noun
in·​mate ˈin-ˌmāt How to pronounce inmate (audio)
: one of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially : a person confined (as in a psychiatric hospital) especially for a long time

Legal Definition

inmate

noun
in·​mate ˈin-ˌmāt How to pronounce inmate (audio)
: a person confined in an institution (as a prison or hospital)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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