captive

views updated May 21 2018

cap·tive / ˈkaptiv/ • n. a person who has been taken prisoner or an animal that has been confined.• adj. imprisoned or confined: a captive animal. ∎  having no freedom to choose alternatives or to avoid something: advertisements at the movie theater reach a captive audience. ∎  (of a facility or service) controlled by, and typically for the sole use of, an establishment or company: a captive power plant.

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