prison

noun

ˈpri-zᵊn How to pronounce prison (audio)
Definition of prisonnext
1
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
2
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 Police have opened a case at the township’s police station under the relevant murder provision, which carries a sentence ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty. — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 In 2025 things got more serious for Jair Bolsonaro when he was convicted and sentenced to about 27 years in prison for his role in planning a coup to remain in power after his election defeat. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 But Ossoff has also dedicated much of his Senate investigative focus to bipartisan probes on more staid topics like abuse in the foster care system, prison conditions and maternal mortality. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 Knowingly giving material false testimony to Congress is a crime that carries a possible prison sentence regardless of whether a person is under oath, though it is rarely prosecuted. — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prison
  1. jail
  2. captivity
  3. penitentiary
  4. internment
  5. imprisonment
  6. incarceration
  7. confinement
Noun
  • Matus’ death took place at the height of the fentanyl epidemic in 2022, when Riverside County jails experienced close to 100 inmate drug overdoses, seven of which resulted in death, according to court documents.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In 2025, a Kentucky man was killed after he was hit 27 times with a GLOVE by jail employees, on top of 13 jabs from a taser, which ultimately sent him into cardiac arrest.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of jail
Noun
  • During his captivity, his siblings organized weekly jam sessions in his honor at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.
    — Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Rachel and her husband Jon worked tirelessly to bring Hersh and the other hostages home, but on the 328th day of his captivity, Hersh was executed in a tunnel in Gaza.
    — Will Croxton, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • Now locked up in a state penitentiary near San Diego on unrelated charges, Knight hasn't changed his tune.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 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
Definition of penitentiary
Noun
  • Matsui’s response centered on her family’s history in a Japanese internment camp.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Some members of their extended family served in the military during World War II; others were sent to internment camps.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of internment
Noun
  • Habeas corpus cases are challenges in federal court of detention or imprisonment.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • He was forced into exile for expressing and publishing his beliefs and endured imprisonment and torture.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • Since my incarceration nearly six months ago, my metamorphosis has accelerated with new meaning.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Simply having charges filed can mean a job loss, losing custody of kids, incarceration for months or years waiting for a trial, financial hardship and stigma.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • After being released from prison into in-home confinement in December, Shah has officially completed her federal sentence.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • After his original arrest by the Mokena Police Department, Alsaidi was ordered released on conditions of electronic monitoring and home confinement by Will County Judge Theodore Jarz.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of confinement

Browse Nearby Words

prismatic
prison
prison camp
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Cite this Entry

“Prison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prison. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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