Meaning & use
a penitentiary
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableAmericanlegal
A prison, especially a state or federal prison in the US for people convicted of serious crimes.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a penitentiary' or 'penitentiaries'.
Patterns
- be sent to a penitentiary
- serve time in a penitentiary
- a federal penitentiary
He was sentenced to ten years in a federal penitentiary.
The old penitentiary is now a museum that tourists can visit.
After the trial, she was sent to a state penitentiary for her crimes.
Word forms
| plural | penitentiaries |
|---|
Common combinations
- federal penitentiary
- The bank robber was sent to a federal penitentiary.
- state penitentiary
- He spent five years in the state penitentiary.
- be released from a penitentiary
- She was released from the penitentiary last month.
- maximum-security penitentiary
- The most dangerous criminals are held in a maximum-security penitentiary.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prison
- The general word used in both American and British English; it is less formal and can refer to any correctional facility.
- jail
- Usually a local facility for people awaiting trial or serving short sentences; a penitentiary is for longer, more serious sentences.
- correctional facility
- A formal, neutral term used by officials; it can be a prison or a penitentiary.
Word family
Commonly confused: a penitentiary or penitentiary?
a penitentiary vs penitentiary
Do not confuse with 'penitentiary' (prison) and 'penitentiary' (a place for penance). The word always refers to a prison in modern use.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'penitentiary' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'penitentiary' as a noun meaning a prison. Option 1 is wrong because a penitentiary is not a thing you buy. Option 2 is wrong because 'penitentiary' is not an adjective meaning sorry; the adjective is 'penitent'. Option 3 is wrong because it is not food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a penitentiary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.