prison

[priz-uhn]

noun

1. a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.

2. state prison.

3. any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

4. imprisonment.

prison

/ ˈprɪzən /

noun

1. a public building used to house convicted criminals and accused persons remanded in custody and awaiting trial See also jail penitentiary reformatory

2. any place of confinement or seeming confinement

Other Word Forms

• prisonlike adjective
• postprison adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prison¹

before 1150; Middle English prison, earlier prisun < Old French, variant of preson imprisonment, a prison < Latin pre ( hē ) nsiōn- (stem of prehēnsiō ) a seizure, arrest, equivalent to prehēns ( us ) (past participle of prehendere to seize) + -iōn- -ion; doublet of prehension

Word History and Origins

Origin of prison¹

C12: from Old French prisun, from Latin prēnsiō a capturing, from prehendere to lay hold of

Example Sentences

If convicted as charged, Yourex faces up to six years in state prison.

From Los Angeles Times

In the video, the DOJ official also suggested that Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was recently moved to a lower-security prison as part of a deal to keep her quiet.

From Los Angeles Times

The consequences for deliberate damage to a scheduled monument range from fines to a prison sentence.

From BBC

He was sentenced to two years in prison at the time.

From Los Angeles Times

She was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court to five years in prison for two counts of fraud by abuse of position after pleading guilty last month.

From BBC

Related Words

• confinement 
• jail 
• lockup 
• penitentiary