prison
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prison
- /ˈpɹɪzn̩/
- [pʰɹ̠̊ɪzn̩]
Rhymes with -ɪzən
Where it comes from
From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.
noun prisons
- 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. The cold stone walls of the prison had stood for over a century.
-
Confinement in prison (sense 1).
Prison was a harrowing experience for him.
Similar: imprisonment
- Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home. The academy was a prison for many of its students because of its strict teachers.
verb prisons · prisoning · prisoned
- To imprison.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: prison house, penitentiary, juvie, jail, cellblock, internment, imprisonment, inmate, lockup, gaol, prisoner, jailing, incarceration, imprison, corrections, confinement
Translations
Every language
noun place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes
| Español | cárcel, prisión, penitenciaría, chirona, trullo, talego |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 교도소 gyodoso, 감옥 gamok, 형무소 hyeongmuso |
| 日本語 | 監獄 kangoku, 刑務所 keimusho, 牢屋 rōya, 牢 rō |
| 中文 | 監獄 /监狱 jiānyù, 牢獄 /牢狱 láoyù, 監牢 /监牢 jiānláo, 班房 bānfáng |
| हिन्दी | कारागार kārāgār, बन्दीघर bandīghar, जेल jel, क़ैदख़ाना qaidxānā |
| Kiswahili | jela, gereza |
| Português | prisão, cadeia, cárcere, xadrez, xilindró |
| Français | prison, cabane, geôle, pénitencier |
| Deutsch | Gefängnis, Knast, Kerker, Zuchthaus |
| Italiano | prigione, carcere, fresco |
| Ελληνικά | φυλακή fylakí, δεσμωτήριο desmotírio |
| Română | închisoare, pușcărie, temniță |
| Русский | тюрьма́ tjurʹmá, темни́ца temníca, остро́г ostróg, куту́зка kutúzka, катала́жка katalážka, тюря́га tjurjága |
| Tiếng Việt | tù, nhà tù |
| العربية | سِجْن sijn |
| עברית | כֶּלֶא kéle, בֵּית כֶּלֶא bet kéle, בֵּית סֹהַר bet sóhar, בֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים bet ha'asurím |
noun confinement in a prison
| Español | prisión, presidio |
|---|---|
| Português | cárcere |
| Français | prison |
| Deutsch | Haft, Gefangenschaft |
| Italiano | prigione, carcere |
| Ελληνικά | φυλάκιση fylákisi, κάθειρξη kátheirxi |
| Русский | тюре́мное заключе́ние tjurémnoje zaključénije, заточе́ние в тюрьму́ zatočénije v tjurʹmú, тюрьма́ tjurʹmá, срок srok |
Talk about this word "prison." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prison. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. prison. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prison "prison." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prison.Cite this
@misc{prison_2026,
title = {prison},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prison},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
