penitentiary Definition
- 1a prison for people convicted of serious crimes
- 2relating to or used for punishment
Using penitentiary: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "penitentiary" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He was sentenced to life in the penitentiary.
Example
The state's oldest penitentiary is located in Philadelphia.
Example
The penitentiary system aims to reform and rehabilitate prisoners.
Example
The inmates were transferred to a new penitentiary in the neighboring state.
penitentiary Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for penitentiary
- prison
- jail
- reformatory
- correctional facility
Phrases with penitentiary
federal penitentiary
a prison operated by the federal government of a country
Example
He was transferred to a federal penitentiary after being convicted of a federal crime.
maximum-security penitentiary
a prison designed to hold the most dangerous criminals and prevent their escape
Example
The notorious criminal was sent to a maximum-security penitentiary after his arrest.
a prison operated by the state government of a country
Example
The state penitentiary was overcrowded due to the increase in crime rates.
Origins of penitentiary
from Latin 'paenitentia', meaning 'repentance'
Summary: penitentiary in Brief
The term 'penitentiary' [ˌpenəˈtenʃ(ə)ri] refers to a prison for people convicted of serious crimes, often with the aim of reforming and rehabilitating prisoners. It can also be used as an adjective to describe things related to punishment. Examples include 'He was sentenced to life in the penitentiary,' and 'The penitentiary system aims to reform and rehabilitate prisoners.' Phrases like 'federal penitentiary' and 'maximum-security penitentiary' denote different types of prisons.
