1
: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
specifically
: such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (such as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare prison
2
: confinement in a jail
sentenced to jail
Examples of jail in a Sentence
Noun
He was locked up in the county jail.
He was arrested and sent to jail.
He went to jail for his crimes.
He just got out of jail a few weeks ago.
He was kept in jail overnight.
Verb
threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked
Recent Examples on the Web
Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Ramos-Jimenez was then arrested and taken to a local jail for possessing a weapon as a felon, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 12 June 2025
Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Two Miami-Dade County employees were jailed Wednesday on charges of stealing public artwork valued at more than $50,000 from Port Miami, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
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Noun
Anyone who assaults or attacks an ICE or Border Agent will do hard time in jail.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Ramos-Jimenez was then arrested and taken to a local jail for possessing a weapon as a felon, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 12 June 2025
Verb
Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang said in a press briefing Thursday that those who were jailed for national security offenses and freed from correctional facilities enjoy freedoms, including freedom of expression, like other residents.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
Two Miami-Dade County employees were jailed Wednesday on charges of stealing public artwork valued at more than $50,000 from Port Miami, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
jail
noun
: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
specifically
: such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare house of correction, house of detention, lockup, penitentiary, prison
jail
transitive verb
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