penitentiary

[ pen-i-ten-shuh-ree ]
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noun,plural pen·i·ten·tia·ries.
  1. 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.

  2. Roman Catholic Church. a tribunal in the Curia Romana, presided over by a cardinal (grand penitentiary ), having jurisdiction over certain matters, as penance, confession, dispensation, absolution, and impediments, and dealing with questions of conscience reserved for the Holy See.

adjective
  1. (of an offense) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary.

  2. of, relating to, or intended for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment.

Origin of penitentiary

1
1375–1425; late Middle English penitenciarie priest who administers penance, prison <Medieval Latin pēnitēntiārius of penance. See penitence, -ary

Words Nearby penitentiary

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How to use penitentiary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for penitentiary

penitentiary

/ (ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃərɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. (in the US and Canada) a state or federal prison: in Canada, esp a federal prison for offenders convicted of serious crimes: Sometimes shortened to: pen

  2. RC Church

    • a cleric appointed to supervise the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular area

    • a priest who has special faculties to absolve particularly grave sins

    • a cardinal who presides over a tribunal that decides all matters affecting the sacrament of penance

    • this tribunal itself

adjective
  1. another word for penitential (def. 1)

  2. US and Canadian (of an offence) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary

Origin of penitentiary

1
C15 (meaning also: an officer dealing with penances): from Medieval Latin poenitēntiārius, from Latin paenitēns penitent

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