detainee

/ˌditeɪnˈi/

Other forms: detainees

A prisoner is sometimes called a detainee, especially if they're being held by a government or its military forces.

Political prisoners are often referred to as detainees, as are people captured by armed forces. Legally, anyone who is being temporarily held or detained until they can be tried in a court is also called a detainee. An inmate or prisoner, on the other hand, has been convicted and imprisoned as part of a legal sentence. Detainee and detain come from the Latin root detinere, "to hold off or hold back."

Definitions of detainee

1. noun

   a person held in custody
   synonyms: political detainee

   type of:

   captive, prisoner

   a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war