inmate

in-mate · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person confined in a prison, jail, or penitentiary.

  2. 2.

    A person living in an institution such as a hospital, asylum, or nursing home.

  3. 3.

    (archaic) A person sharing a dwelling with others; a lodger or fellow resident.

Forms

plural: inmates

Related words

Antonyms: free person, guard, warden
See also: convict, detainee, prisoner
Synonyms: convict, detainee, prisoner

Etymology

Compound of in + mate ("companion"), originally meaning someone who shares a dwelling. First recorded in the 16th century. The meaning narrowed to institutional residents, especially prisoners, by the 19th century.