inmates

in-mates · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    People confined in a prison, jail, or similar correctional facility.

  2. 2.

    People residing in an institution such as a hospital or asylum.

Related words

Antonyms: guards, wardens
See also: inmate, prison, prisoners
Synonyms: convicts, detainees, prisoners

Etymology

Plural of inmate, a compound of in + mate ("companion"). Originally referred to lodgers sharing a dwelling before narrowing to institutional residents.