Words / B2

KAPT-iv/ˈkæptɪv/

A captive is a person or animal that is not free; as an adjective, held and unable to escape: a captive audience; captive-bred. Prisoner is a legal twin; captivity is the state (next entry). Count captive-bred birds in the conservation table. Mix-up: captain (already in the dictionary); captivate. Do not write captive for a willing volunteer.

Meaning

A person or animal that is not free; as an adjective, held and unable to escape.

Examples

• “Count captive-bred birds in the conservation table, not a film plot.”
• “A captive audience still needs consent to film, which is the “cannot leave” sense.”

Good to know

a captive; captive-bred; a captive audience. State: captivity. Trap: captain / captivate. Biology, news, and media. Held and not free, not a fan who chose to stay.

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