French Conversation · Level 50
74 words
French word
captif
Pronunciation
IPA/kaptif/
Meaning
- adjectivecaptive
Example
Il est resté captif pendant trois mois.
He remained captive for three months.
More examples
Il est captif de ses émotions.
He is captive to his emotions.
Core concept
A seized person remains unable to leave, whether the restraint is physical or inward.
Common phrases
être captif de
be captive to ___
Similar words
enchaîné: Bound by chains or restraints and unable to move freely.
attaché: Tied to a person or object and unable to leave.
enfermé: Shut in and unable to get outside.
Definition in French
Qui se trouve privé de liberté, concrètement ou de façon figurée, parce qu'il a été retenu ou saisi.
Word origin
The French adjective captif descends from Latin captivus, originally describing someone seized and held as a captive.
Usage tips
- Captif de introduces what holds or dominates someone, as in captif de la peur, a construction that also applies to figurative constraints.