as in prisons
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penitentiaries
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.
—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiaries
Noun
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For the next two weeks, Rebin visited morgues, cemeteries, police stations, prisons, and forensic offices in Tehran and its neighboring districts.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Programs in Michigan prisons range from high school equivalency and special education to trades like welding, robotics and commercial truck driving.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That includes local jails, which are sometimes used to hold immigrants, too.—
Ignacio Calderon,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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In 2023, the number dropped significantly, even as supervision failures within jails persisted, down to 63.—
Ryan Oehrli
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiaries. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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