variants or less commonly cell mate
plural cellmates also cell mates
: a person who shares a prison cell with another prisoner
When his cellmates learned that his bond had been set at $1 million (and bail at $500,000), they broke into laughter and shook their heads in disbelief.Richard Behar
Within a week, guards came by at night and told me to get ready. … I said goodbye to my cellmates and gathered my things …Clare Morgana Gillis

Examples of cellmate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While in jail Atkins told her cellmates about the Tate-LaBianca murders. Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 Ozuna’s cellmate, 30-year-old Alexis Guerrero, was put into restricted housing pending an investigation by the facility’s Investigative Services Unit and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the statement said. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026 Johnson later allegedly attacked his cellmate in the Denver jail, according to 9News. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 30 July 2026 Whether that’s enough to actually inspire change is another question entirely, but at least in Sam’s case, there’s a reason Paul resembles a prison cellmate. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cellmate

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cellmate was in 1839

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cellmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellmate. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!