1
: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
specifically
: such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (such as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare prison
2
: confinement in a jail
sentenced to jail
Examples of jail in a Sentence
Noun
He was locked up in the county jail.
He was arrested and sent to jail.
He went to jail for his crimes.
He just got out of jail a few weeks ago.
He was kept in jail overnight.
Verb
threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked
Recent Examples on the Web
Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
That’s a Class B misdemeanor, which carries up to six months in jail and fines of up to $2,000.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But pro-democracy figures have argued that local governance has grown increasingly aligned with the mainland as political dissidents have either been jailed or exiled, organizations have disbanded, and a free press dismantled.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
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Noun
As of Tuesday, Carter’s bail amount was set at $5,000, according to jail records.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
That’s a Class B misdemeanor, which carries up to six months in jail and fines of up to $2,000.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
The president had recently called for Pritzker to be jailed—a status symbol among high-profile Democratic governors who might run for president.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Advertisement But pro-democracy figures have argued that local governance has grown increasingly aligned with the mainland as political dissidents have either been jailed or exiled, organizations have disbanded, and a free press dismantled.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
jail
noun
: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
specifically
: such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare house of correction, house of detention, lockup, penitentiary, prison
jail
transitive verb
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