borstal

American

[bawr-stuhl] / ˈbɔr stəl /

noun

a school providing therapy and vocational training for delinquent boys in the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth in the 20th century and continuing to operate in India and some other Commonwealth nations in the 21st century.

borstal British

/ ˈbɔːstəl /

noun

(formerly in Britain) an informal name for an establishment in which offenders aged 15 to 21 could be detained for corrective training. Since the Criminal Justice Act 1982, they have been replaced by youth custody centres (now known as young offender institutions )
(formerly) a similar establishment in Australia and New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of borstal

First recorded in 1905–10; named after Borstal, village in Kent, England

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She feels that by reporting this or not lying for him for whatever – I don't think she imagines that he'll be going to borstal.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2023

He ended up getting sent to a borstal, a reformatory for young offenders.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2023

The sort you'd see in a borstal probably.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2022

Smith's prison is literal – the Essex borstal – and though running gives him a sense of freedom, the only way he can express it is by deliberately losing.

From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2010

"Welcome to borstal," she added, spraying bits of crisp out of her mouth like snowflakes.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023