penitentiary
noun
a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, especially a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
penitentiaries
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pluralof penitentiary.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Still, Mr Ramey said the low pay is more than a California prisoner would otherwise earn performing jobs in the state penitentiaries.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025
Time served for the state convictions will run at the same time as the federal sentences, and the men will serve their time in federal penitentiaries.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 9, 2024
A Mexican national, Madrigal served a 77-month sentence for illegally reentering the country at federal penitentiaries in Victorville and Leavenworth, Kan., law enforcement records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2023
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 1 million people are held in state penitentiaries, of which 71% will be re-arrested within three to five years after committing additional offenses.
From Reuters ● Aug. 2, 2023
That has been true since penitentiaries first opened in America.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
