as in prison
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
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Recent Examples of penitentiary
The gallows, where 15 penitentiary inmates were executed by hanging, were no longer there.
—
Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025
Instead, Trump took a number of potshots at his sometime opponent during a Tuesday press conference, less than 48 hours after ordering the Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz
as a federal penitentiary.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025
Since then, Alcatraz has had more success in fiction than as a functioning penitentiary.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 6 May 2025
What To Know Alcatraz, which for the past 60 years or so, has been more of a historical and tourist attraction than an actual penitentiary.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025
Instead, Trump took a number of potshots at his sometime opponent during a Tuesday press conference, less than 48 hours after ordering the Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz
as a federal penitentiary.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025
Since then, Alcatraz has had more success in fiction than as a functioning penitentiary.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 6 May 2025
What To Know Alcatraz, which for the past 60 years or so, has been more of a historical and tourist attraction than an actual penitentiary.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for penitentiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiary
Noun
-
Sherry had been in and out of prison for years, while Juan had battled chronic illness.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
12 June 2025
-
Both face felony charges and over six years in prison.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Anyone who assaults or attacks an ICE or Border Agent will do hard time in jail.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
Ramos-Jimenez was then arrested and taken to a local jail for possessing a weapon as a felon, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiary. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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