[cap.tive] adj [ME, fr. L captivus, fr. captus, pp. of capere] (14c) 1 a: taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war b: kept within bounds: confined
2: held under control of another but having the appearance of independence; esp: owned or controlled by another concern and operated for its needs rather than for an open market "a ~ mine"
3: being such involuntarily because of a situation that makes free choice or departure difficult "the airline passengers were a ~ audience" -- captive n