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
Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
But Simpson made clear that if Moore violates the terms of his probationary sentence, he could be sent to jail.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
There were close calls, with Igra and her mother being jailed near the Hungarian border after being betrayed by a guide.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
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Noun
Williams was charged with felony intimidation and held in jail for three nights.
—Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
But Simpson made clear that if Moore violates the terms of his probationary sentence, he could be sent to jail.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
He was arrested in May 2024 and has been jailed awaiting trial ever since.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
There were close calls, with Igra and her mother being jailed near the Hungarian border after being betrayed by a guide.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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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