# prisoner

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɪzənə/ · frequency rank #5,155

## Definitions
1. A person incarcerated in a prison, while on trial or serving a sentence.
2. Any person held against their will.
3. A person who is or feels confined or trapped by a situation or a set of circumstances.

## Etymology
From Middle English prisoner, from Old French prisonier (compare Medieval Latin prisōnārius), equivalent to prison + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **prisons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prisoner-vs-prisons)
- **prisoners** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prisoner-vs-prisoners)
- **prison** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prison-vs-prisoner)
- **poisoned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poisoned-vs-prisoner)

## Common misspellings (12)
`pirsoner`, `pprisoner`, `priosner`, `prisnoer`, `prisoenr`, `prisonerr`, `prisonner`, `prisonre`, `prissoner`, `prrisoner`, `prsioner`, `rpisoner`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prisoner