captive

[US]/ˈkæptɪv/
[UK]/ˈkæptɪv/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. imprisoned; fascinated
n. prisoner; someone who is fascinated

Phrases & Collocations

captive animals

captive audience

taken captive

captive market

Example Sentences

a captive audience; a captive market.

a captive power plant.

advertisements at the cinema reach a captive audience.

The captive was whooped and jeered.

The rock star had a captive audience.

The captives are wearing chains.

Television provides a captive audience for advertisers.

The three brothers were held captive for three months.

a campaign to save the condor by captive breeding

the farm was used to hold prisoners of war captive .

deliver a captive from slavery.See Synonyms at save 1

guaranteed to free the captives; guarantees freedom of speech.

Lying in my hospital bed, I was a captive audience to these uninteresting old stories.

After so many months, the captives were beyond hope of escape and of ever seeing their families again.

Orwell feared we would become a captive culture.Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy.

The company has already raised captive-bred yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and mulloway (Argyrosomus hololepidotus), which are now in significant commercial production.

Suni - A member of the monkey-like Sem barbarian tribe. She was being held captive by the Black Count and was liberated by Rinda, Guin, and Remus.

Real-world Examples

So there has to be a captive?

Source: Modern Family - Season 07

They said both sides should release the remaining captives.

Source: VOA Special December 2017 Collection

Yesterday, the Houthis also freed two captive Americans.

Source: PBS English News

Could it be that she was to remain a captive still?

Source: Returning Home

Caesar celebrated his victories by parading his captives through the streets of Rome.

Source: Women Who Changed the World

Mr Muhaxheri has made one video in which he beheads an Iraqi captive.

Source: The Economist (Summary)

Through baptism the Catholic Church stripped the captives of their African identity.

Source: VOA Standard English_Americas

Dawn arrives, but the flower remains unchanged, holding its captives through the day.

Source: Beautiful China

About 70 captives were freed. Here's Gary O'Donoghue.

Source: BBC Listening Compilation October 2015

Professor Snape grew worried that you still believed Sirius to be a captive of Lord Voldemort's.

Source: 5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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