PRISONS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

prisons

noun

plural of prison

as in jails

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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outsides

as in captivities

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

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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 prisons Fewer than half of the 170,000 inmates released from California prisons between 2015 and 2019 found jobs, and many of those jobs were temporary, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026 For several years, people in custody, advocates and local media have sounded the alarm about the dangers posed by extreme temperatures in Pennsylvania’s state prisons. — Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 But the government has narrowed the definition of homicide to exclude killings by police, murders in prisons and bodies found in unmarked graves. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Federal prosecutors accused Maduro of conspiring with his wife to torture individuals who were held in Venezuelan prisons, according to a criminal indictment unsealed last week. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 At prisons, schools, and recovery meetings, people recognize a Trejo character first and then listen to the man’s own story. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 At one point over two thirds of Sloss's entry-level workforce was composed of Black labor, which was socially and hierarchically segregated and, up until 1928, often sourced from nearby prisons. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 Like Francis before him, Leo has made visiting prisons a key part of his papal travel in a bid to give a message of hope to inmates and underscore their inherent dignity, that God loves them and that there is always a chance for redemption. — Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 Once public spectacles, executions now occur privately inside prisons, with only a handful of official witnesses and a press pool. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons

Noun

In 2019, the New York City Council voted to close the island's facilities and replace them with four smaller jails throughout the five boroughs by August 2027.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Reports also describe people in prisons and jails around the country being routinely beaten, among other abuse.

— Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of jails

Noun

Part of the Measure J mandate passed by voters in 2020 is to reduce incarcerations by adding more interdictions by substance abuse and mental health counselors, when there’s no weapon involved or violent threat.

— Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 11 Aug. 2026
One 2025 study found that these waivers may be tied to fewer hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and incarcerations among adults with serious mental illness.

— Helen Santoro, Denver Post, 29 June 2026

Definition of incarcerations

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prisoners

prisons

prissy

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

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Synonyms of prisons

noun

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