prison

Meaning

1. A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government.
2. Confinement in prison.
3. (colloquial) Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.

jail

gaol

prison house

bastile

place of confinement

detention house

penal institution

prison windows

serve time in prison

cabin

stone-jug

detention center

cloister jail

confined place

by ext.

jail house

house of detention

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɹɪzən/

From Middle English prisoun, prison, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.

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