as in prison
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penitentiary
In 2005, the penitentiary was downgraded to medium security, and its name changed to the Federal Correctional Institution.
—
Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Arcángela and Serafina remain in the women’s penitentiary, continuing to operate illicit businesses and accumulating wealth, but without hope of freedom.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Prisoners look out of their cell at maximum security penitentiary CECOT (Center for the Compulsory Housing of Terrorism) on April 4 in Tecoluca, San Vicente, El Salvador.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
At Parchman, the state’s troubled penitentiary, corrections workers were urging their colleagues to sign up.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
Arcángela and Serafina remain in the women’s penitentiary, continuing to operate illicit businesses and accumulating wealth, but without hope of freedom.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Prisoners look out of their cell at maximum security penitentiary CECOT (Center for the Compulsory Housing of Terrorism) on April 4 in Tecoluca, San Vicente, El Salvador.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
At Parchman, the state’s troubled penitentiary, corrections workers were urging their colleagues to sign up.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiary
Noun
-
The other defendant was handed 10 years in prison for spying on behalf of France, five years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime against national security, and 17 years of imprisonment for assisting Israeli intelligence services.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Co-directed by filmmaker Toia Bonino and incarcerated Marcos Joubert, Do or Die is a rare, intimate portrait of prison life and a meditation on cinema itself—filmed entirely on a phone behind bars.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The man was released from jail a few days after his arrest on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond while his case is pending, court records show.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell weeks after his 2019 arrest.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share