penitentiary

noun

ˌpe-nə-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)rē How to pronounce penitentiary (audio)
Definition of penitentiarynext
as in prison
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penitentiary Beginning in 1908, after federal prisons opened in Atlanta, Georgia, and Leavenworth, Kansas, most federal prisoners were sent to these new federal prisons, and cells began to empty at the West Virginia state penitentiary. — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Recent spike in inmate deaths at the penitentiary In fiscal year 2025 – July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 – the DOC reported 19 deaths within its annual report, the most in a decade. — Tj Rhodes, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Aug. 2026 One of her clients has gone MIA from the state penitentiary – but how can a man go missing in prison? — Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026 State lawmakers voted last fall to replace the oldest parts of the penitentiary, which was built prior to South Dakota statehood, with a $650 million facility now under construction on the eastern side of Sioux Falls. — John Hult, States Newsroom, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiary
  1. prison
  2. jail
Noun
  • The 911 call recordings, as reported by the Associated Press, showed that first responders and prison officials did not know whether a request for emergency help from within the execution chamber was legitimate.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Eady-Williams sentenced Pham and Salerno to life in prison without possibility of parole for the murder charges.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of prison
Noun
  • Trump had called for the leakers to face long-term jail sentences.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In 2024, Indonesia revised its anti-wildlife trafficking law to bring in stricter fines and longer jail sentences.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of jail

Browse Nearby Words

penitentiaries
penitentiary
penman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penitentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on penitentiary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about penitentiary

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All