captive

A captive is defined as a person or animal who has been confined or held hostage.

(noun)

The definition of captive is someone who is confined, controlled or has no alternatives.

(adjective)

An audience that cannot get up and leave even if they want to is an example of a captive audience.

See captive in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Origin: L captivus < captus, pp. of capere, to take: see have

adjective

1. taken or held prisoner
2. not able to act independently: a captive nation
3. ☆ obliged or forced to listen, whether wanting to or not: a captive audience
captivated
of captivity

See captive in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

One, such as a prisoner of war, who is forcibly confined, subjugated, or enslaved.
One held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion.

adjective

Taken and held prisoner, as in war.
Held in bondage; enslaved.
Kept under restraint or control; confined: captive birds.
Restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice: a captive audience; a captive market.
Enraptured, as by beauty; captivated.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English captif

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin captīvus

Origin: , from captus

Origin: , past participle of capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots

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