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Synonyms

prisoner of war

American  

noun

  1. a person who is captured and held by an enemy during war, especially a member of the armed forces. POW

prisoner of war British  

noun

  1.  POW.  a person, esp a serviceman, captured by an enemy in time of war

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of prisoner of war

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

AFP reporters met prisoners of war from Kenya, Togo, Cameroon and Nigeria during a visit to detention centre in Ukraine late last year.

From Barron's

At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed fighting in the war in Ukraine, with two others currently held as prisoners of war, Ghana's foreign affairs minister says.

From BBC

Moscow and Kyiv agreed to return the bodies of up to 6,000 soldiers each, as well as all sick and heavily wounded prisoners of war and those aged under 25.

From BBC

The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty and declared that he is a "prisoner of war."

From Barron's

For most of human history, armies were untroubled by prisoners of war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.