as in prison
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 penitentiary
But local officials and historians have questioned the practical and symbolic implications of converting the island back into a penitentiary.
—
Kate Talerico, Mercury News, 17 July 2025
Based on true events, the Gorgona Island prison, 34 miles off the Pacific coast, was once one of the most brutal of tropical penitentiary for murderers, rapists and political prisoners, notorious for its use of torture.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 15 July 2025
Those are the nearest federal penitentiaries for women.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
Her various occupations, paid and unpaid, included teaching convicts at an area penitentiary and substitute-teaching in junior high.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Kate Talerico, Mercury News, 17 July 2025
Based on true events, the Gorgona Island prison, 34 miles off the Pacific coast, was once one of the most brutal of tropical penitentiary for murderers, rapists and political prisoners, notorious for its use of torture.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 15 July 2025
Those are the nearest federal penitentiaries for women.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 June 2025
Her various occupations, paid and unpaid, included teaching convicts at an area penitentiary and substitute-teaching in junior high.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiary
Noun
-
Jones was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in 1996 and was in prison until 2021.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The law mandates that second-degree persistent felony offenders be sentenced to a prison term within the penalty range for the next highest degree of felony.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
He is being held on $2 million bail, online jail records show.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
He was eventually sentenced to six years in jail for defrauding investors.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiary. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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