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Synonyms

jailer

American  
[jey-ler] / ˈdʒeɪ lər /
Or jailor

noun

  1. a person who is in charge of a jail or section of a jail.

  2. a person who forcibly confines another.


jailer British  
/ ˈdʒeɪlə /

noun

  1. a person in charge of prisoners in a jail

"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

Other Word Forms

  • underjailer noun

Etymology

Origin of jailer

1250–1300; Middle English gaioler, jaioler, jailer < Old French jaiolier. See jail, -er 2

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.

There are more than 120 journalists detained in China, according to RSF, which calls the country "the world's biggest jailer of journalists".

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

That alone should mean that shipping people there runs afoul of domestic laws and potentially the Eighth Amendment, if indeed the U.S. can be legally considered the jailer.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2025

One is that most sheriffs worked in their office before the became sheriffs, as a deputy or a jailer or a staff member.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2024

They were even more concerned when they realized a jailer had walked by for a safety check and ignored it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024

The authorities had made no announcement, and had I not managed to get word out through a sympathetic jailer, no one would have known that I had left Johannesburg.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela