as in prisons
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
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Recent Examples of penitentiaries
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.
—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiaries
Noun
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Dees was one of hundreds of men being housed out of state in private prisons.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
-
Colorado voters passed Amendment A, a ballot measure touted as an end to slavery in state prisons in 2018.—
Julia Bowling,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Each of them was taken to Kentucky jails for detention, but the government separated them and held them in different facilities.—
Gregory Royal Pratt,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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To address custody deaths in Los Angeles County jails, Bornman wants to increase staffing and drug searches and look at contracting with outside hospitals and treatment centers for ill and addicted people in jail.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiaries. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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