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Meaning & use

HMP

abbreviation·AdvancedBritish

Last updated

UK/ˌeɪtʃ em ˈpiː/
US/ˌeɪtʃ em ˈpiː/

Meanings

  1. abbreviationfixed phraseBritishlaw

    The official title placed before the name of a prison run by the government in the United Kingdom.

    Grammar: Placed directly before a place name: HMP Belmarsh.

    Patterns

    • HMP + prison name

    He was sent to HMP Manchester for two years.

    The inspectors visited HMP Bristol last month.

    HMP Wandsworth is one of the oldest prisons in London.

  2. abbreviationfixed phraseBritishformal

    Short for His Majesty's Prison or Her Majesty's Prison, depending on who is on the throne.

    Grammar: The words behind the letters change with the monarch, but the abbreviation stays the same.

    Patterns

    • HMP and a name

    The letter was stamped from HMP, followed by the prison's name.

    The documentary followed life at HMP Strangeways.

    The prison officer wore a badge reading HMP.

Word forms

pluralHMPs

Common combinations

HMP Wandsworth
He served a short term at HMP Wandsworth.
serve time at HMP
The man served time at HMP Leeds.
released from HMP
She was released from HMP Styal on Friday.
sent to HMP
The judge sent him to HMP Doncaster.
HMP and YOI
HMP and YOI Feltham holds young offenders.

Synonyms and how they differ

prison
Prison is the general everyday word, while HMP is an official prefix used with a specific prison name in the UK.
jail
Jail in American usage often means a local lockup, but HMP always refers to a UK government prison.
penitentiary
Penitentiary is an American term for a state or federal prison and is not used with HMP.

Word family

HMYOI abbreviation
His Majesty's Young Offender Institution, used for younger prisoners
HM abbreviation
His Majesty or Her Majesty
prison noun
a place where people are kept as punishment
prisoner noun
a person held in prison

Commonly confused: HMP or HMS? HMP or HMO?

HMP vs HMS

HMS stands for His Majesty's Ship and is used for Royal Navy vessels, not for prisons.

HMP vs HMO

HMO can mean a house in multiple occupation or a health maintenance organization, and has no link to prisons.

Practice

In a UK newspaper, the title that appears before the name of a government prison, as in 'HMP Belmarsh', is ___.

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