captive

7 definitions • 11 examples

a person or animal whose ability to move or act freely is limited by being kept in a space; a prisoner, especially a person held by the enemy during a war:

When the town was recaptured, we found soldiers who had been captives for several years.

to keep someone as a prisoner or make someone a prisoner:

The terrorists were holding several diplomats captive.

(of a person or an animal) having limited ability to move or act freely because of being kept in a space:

Wildlife officials say double fences would help prevent the spread of disease between wild and captive animals.

If it is successful, captive breeding could restore the population to 200 in seven years.

(of a prisoner) held by the enemy during a war:

The government handed him over to rebels in return for captive soldiers.

News that the soldiers were captive after being held at gunpoint caused panic.

a prisoner, esp. a person held by the enemy during a war

(being) without the ability to escape:

The soldiers were held captive for three months.

When selling to people in their homes, you’ve got a captive audience (= people who cannot leave).

not having a choice about what services, goods, etc. you buy because there is only one or there are only a few available in the place where you are:

In the cinema, advertisers know that they have a captive audience.

Long-distance airline passengers are the perfect captive market.

Utility companies could be fined for overcharging captive customers or undercharging consumers who have a choice of supplier.