plural noun
People who are kept in prison, usually because they were found guilty of a crime or are waiting for a trial.
The guards counted all the prisoners.
The authorities transferred the prisoners to another prison.
American English
How to pronounce prisoners
nounB1Common word
PʰRIHzuhnerz
/ˈpʰɹɪ.zə.nɚz/
3 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of prisoner
People who are kept in prison, usually because they were found guilty of a crime or are waiting for a trial.
What to listen for
“Prisoners” is commonly pronounced /ˈpʰɹɪ.zə.nɚz/, and a shorter form, /ˈpʰɹɪz.nɚz/, is also common in natural speech.
Common pronunciation/ˈpʰɹɪ.zə.nɚz/
Shorter common form/ˈpʰɹɪz.nɚz/
Meanings & examples
plural noun
People captured and held by an enemy, especially during a war.
The prisoners were exchanged after the war.
The soldiers treated the prisoners with respect.
Useful expressions
a soldier captured and held by the enemy during a war
He spent two years as a prisoner of war.
to capture and hold someone
The soldiers took the pilot prisoner.
a person jailed because of their political beliefs or activities
The government released several political prisoners.