prison

[priz-uhn]

noun

1. a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.

2. state prison.

3. any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

4. imprisonment.

prison

/ ˈprɪzən /

noun

1. a public building used to house convicted criminals and accused persons remanded in custody and awaiting trial See also jail penitentiary reformatory

2. any place of confinement or seeming confinement

Other Word Forms

• prisonlike adjective
• postprison adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prison¹

before 1150; Middle English prison, earlier prisun < Old French, variant of preson imprisonment, a prison < Latin pre ( hē ) nsiōn- (stem of prehēnsiō ) a seizure, arrest, equivalent to prehēns ( us ) (past participle of prehendere to seize) + -iōn- -ion; doublet of prehension

Word History and Origins

Origin of prison¹

C12: from Old French prisun, from Latin prēnsiō a capturing, from prehendere to lay hold of

Example Sentences

West Yorkshire Police said they were called to the prison on Saturday morning to an assault on a prisoner, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

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He was told by the officer running the prison that he would be incarcerated indefinitely.

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With that guidance, officials canceled plans to transfer most of the inmates to mainline prisons.

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She was released from prison in September after serving six months of a yearlong prison sentence.

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Ali claims he only pleaded guilty to the lesser charge in order to get out of prison.

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Related Words

• confinement 
• jail 
• lockup 
• penitentiary