Captive Meaning
/ˈkæptɪv/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
nounOne held prisoner.
Sentence Examples
He fell captive to her charms.
Greece, conquered, took captive her savage conqueror.
The captive escaped in the dark of the night.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The rescue team worked tirelessly to free the ____ held in the basement.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The animals were kept in a ____ state for many years at the old zoo.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“seize, hold”). Doublet of caitiff.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I envy not in any moods
The captive void of noble rage,
The linnet born within the cage,
That never knew the summer woods: […]"
— 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 44:
"When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him. The captive made no resistance[…]."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"A poor, miserable, captive thrall."
— 1671, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:
"Even in so short a space, my woman's heart / Grossly grew captive to his honey words."
— c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The rescue team worked tirelessly to free the ____ held in the basement.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The animals were kept in a ____ state for many years at the old zoo.