Synonyms of pen

pen 1 of 5

noun (1)

as in penitentiary

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

earned six years in a federal pen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• penitentiary
• jail
• prison
• coop
• brig
• jug
• cage
• hock
• jailhouse
• cooler
• big house
• lockup
• stockade
• bridewell
• calaboose
• guardroom
• pokey
• joint
• slammer
• hoosegow
• tank
• bastille
• nick
• clink
• cell
• stir
• slam
• hold
• tolbooth
• quod
• can
• bull pen
• dungeon
• hole
• ward
• guardhouse
• block
• labor camp
• concentration camp
• keep
• prison camp
• work camp
• gulag
• stalag
• glasshouse
• reform school
• oubliette
• hulk(s)
• reformatory
• training school

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• outside

pen

2 of 5

noun (2)

as in cage

an enclosure with an open framework for keeping animals

a goat pen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cage
• coop
• corral
• pound
• kennel
• hutch
• fence
• fold
• stockade
• kraal
• aquarium
• cote
• henhouse
• run
• pigpen
• dovecote
• sheepfold
• dovecot
• terrarium
• live-box

pen

3 of 5

noun (3)

as in writer

a person who creates a written work

Alexander Hamilton is reckoned to be the pseudonymous pen behind two thirds of the Federalist Papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• writer
• author
• novelist
• man of letters
• poet
• storyteller
• woman of letters
• penman
• littérateur
• litterateur
• biographer
• scribe
• scrivener
• screenwriter
• scribbler
• blogger
• columnist
• stylist
• wordsmith
• reporter
• playwright
• ghostwriter
• cowriter
• dramatist
• belletrist
• hack
• journalist
• essayist
• coauthor
• fictionist
• memoirist
• memorialist
• fictioneer
• autobiographer
• scriptwriter
• auteur
• hatchet man
• pamphleteer
• hagiographer
• bard
• belle-lettrist
• fabulist
• satirist
• scenarist
• versifier
• newspaperman
• proser
• romancer
• sportswriter
• wordmonger
• rhymer
• coscenarist
• paragrapher
• prosaist
• prosateur

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonauthor

pen

4 of 5

verb (1)

ˈpen 

as in to house

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers

remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over

Synonyms & Similar Words

• house
• cage
• enclose
• confine
• inclose
• closet
• box (in)
• encase
• fence (in)
• include
• hem (in)
• wall (in)
• hedge
• surround
• envelop
• corral
• encage
• coop (up)
• bound
• immure
• mew (up)
• ring
• limit
• restrict
• contain
• circumscribe
• armor
• encompass
• frame
• enframe
• encircle
• enfold
• encapsule
• enlace
• encapsulate
• ensheathe
• ensphere
• cocoon
• encyst
• enwomb

pen

5 of 5

verb (2)

as in to write

to compose and set down on paper the words of

though relatively unknown at the time of his death, the composer had penned some of the most memorable show tunes of his era

Synonyms & Similar Words

• write
• author
• scribble
• compose
• scratch (out)
• record
• print
• craft
• letter
• type
• rewrite
• sign
• draft
• formulate
• word
• revise
• transcribe
• cast
• draw up
• phrase
• prepare
• pencil (in)
• recast
• typewrite
• redraft
• frame
• couch
• take down
• autograph
• register
• put
• express

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pen

Noun

From long-lasting formulas to felt pens that behave almost like calligraphy markers, there’s an option for every skill level, eye shape, and makeup mood. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 24 Apr. 2025

To make, follow these steps: Dip half your egg in dye or use your paint pen to paint the bottom half of your egg. —Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 Apr. 2025

Verb

Let My People Go Surfing: A Case for Employee Advocacy Two decades ago, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard penned Let My People Go Surfing, advocating for flexible time away from work. —Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

In late March, Trump also penned an executive order to end union rights for workers at numerous federal government agencies. —Filip Timotija, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025