PRISON Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

prison

noun

ˈpri-zᵊn

Definition of prison

as in jail

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outside

as in captivity

the act of confining or the state of being confined the view that prison does nothing to cure the criminal—if anything, it makes him worse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 prison Declonius Peck, its beloved editor-in-chief, has gone to prison for embezzlement, and his evil twin, Salton, has assumed management of the family business, along with the 39 editors who curate the periodical. — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 For Iranian directors, prison is a real risk, and Mohammad Rasoulof is among those who have served time. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Following the jury's verdict, a superior court judge sentenced Williams to 40 years, with the first 35 in prison and the rest on probation. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Davis faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prison

Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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

Noun

But their local expertise, connections, courage, and instincts could stave off death or captivity.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Regev directly countered Piker's claims about the October 7 attacks by delivering a harrowing eyewitness account of her captivity in Gaza.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of captivity

Noun

Adding to the dark absurdity of the situation was the fact that Seghers’s husband, the Hungarian Marxist scholar László Radványi, was being held in a French internment camp, on the basis that Hungary was a German ally.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
At the exhibition’s press opening, curator Cindy Kang talked about trying to dispel the idea that internment was an isolated incident that these artists then moved on from.

— Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of internment

Noun

According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.

— Mitch Picasso, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
For some, the potential release of thousands of prisoners doesn’t go far enough to repair the damage of their prolonged imprisonment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

Those with misdemeanors can vote or if the person has an unsentenced status with no prior felony conviction unless voting rights have been restored following the release from incarceration for the felony conviction.

— Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
The first half of Fielder and Oppenheim’s film chronicles the 34 days leading up to the incarceration of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood-testing technology company Theranos.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of incarceration

Noun

As such, it could be easily exported to describe Jewish quarters elsewhere—and eventually adapted to describe sites of confinement or exclusion the world over.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
In the 1925 novel, the appearance of fledglings symbolizes freedom, confinement and even spiritual rebirth, themes that follow lead characters Clarissa and Sally (whom Edebiri portrays) as the story unfolds.

— Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of confinement

Browse Nearby Words

prismatic

prison

prison camp

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Style

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

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Synonyms of prison

noun

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Synonyms of prison

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to prison

Is it 'jail' or 'prison'?

What's the Difference Between …

Cite this Entry

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