prisionero

prisoner

noun pree-syoh-NEH-roh Rare

Origin: From Old French 'prisonier', from 'prison', from Latin 'prehensio' (seizure).

Also means

captive

Usage Note

Prisionero is masculine; the feminine is prisionera. It implies captivity in a broad sense, including war prisoners (prisionero de guerra). It is slightly more formal than preso (a convict in jail), which implies a legal conviction rather than capture.

Examples

"El prisionero intentó escapar dos veces."

Natural Translation

The prisoner tried to escape twice.

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