noun
prison
A place where people are confined under legal authority.
The prison holds people who are serving long sentences.
Etymology
The French word connects confinement with being taken captive. English came to emphasize the institution or building in which that confinement occurs.
More examples
- She visits her brother in prison every Sunday.
- The judge sentences him to five years in prison.
- Two state prisons offer classes to help inmates learn trades.
Forms
Similar words
- jail
- Usually holds people awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences.
- penitentiary
- A formal term for a prison housing convicted offenders.