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
And Jack Henry Abbott, everyone was getting into his corner and trying to promote the idea that his art was reason enough for him to be released from the penitentiary.
—
Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Manchester gets caught, and is sentenced to 45 years in the state penitentiary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Just up the way, the old penitentiary building is famously open for tours and purportedly haunted.
—Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Clayton Davis, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Manchester gets caught, and is sentenced to 45 years in the state penitentiary.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Just up the way, the old penitentiary building is famously open for tours and purportedly haunted.
—Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiary
Noun
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According to records, Martínez faced robbery charges in the US, pleaded guilty, and was released on bail before being arrested and sent to a Salvadoran prison.—
Rocio Muñoz-Ledo,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
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Filming without consent in certain circumstances is a Class 5 felony, punishable by up to two and a half years in prison.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Anyone who violated the law could have been charged with a misdemeanor for disorderly conduct, which is punishable by up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Nov. 2025
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He is scheduled to appear in court on November 26, according to jail records.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiary. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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