Definitions for Prison
ˈprɪz ənprison

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. prison, prison housenoun

   a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

2. prison, prison housenoun

   a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prisonnoun

   A place of long-term confinement for 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.

2. prisonnoun

   Confinement in a prison.

   Prison was a harrowing experience for him.

3. prisonnoun

   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.

4. prisonverb

   to imprison

5. Etymology: From prison, from prehensionem, accusative singular of prehensio, from prehendo

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. PRISONnoun

   A strong hold in which persons are confined; a gaol.

   Etymology: prison, Fr.

   He hath commission
   To hang Cordelia in the prison. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   For those rebellious here their pris’n ordain’d. John Milton.

   I thought our utmost good
   Was in one word of freedom understood,
   The fatal blessing came; from prison free,
   I starve abroad, and lose the sight of Emily. Dryden.

   Unkind! can you, whom only I adore,
   Set open to your slave the prison door. Dryden.

   The tyrant Æolus,
   With pow’r imperial, curbs the struggling winds,
   And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds. Dryden.

   He, that has his chains knocked off, and the prison doors
   set open to him, is presently at liberty. John Locke.

2. To Prisonverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To emprison; to shut up in hold; to restrain from liberty.2. To captivate; to enchain.

   Culling their potent herbs and baleful drugs,
   They, as they sung, would take the prison’d soul,
   And lap it in Elysium. John Milton.

   3. To confine.

   Universal plodding prisons up
   The nimble spirits in the arteries. William Shakespeare.

   Then did the king enlarge
   The spleen he prison’d. George Chapman, Iliads.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prison

   A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, British English, Australian, South African and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correctional facility, lock-up, hoosegow or remand center, is a facility in which inmates (or prisoners) are confined against their will and usually denied a variety of freedoms under the authority of the state as punishment for various crimes. Prisons are most commonly used within a criminal justice system: people charged with crimes may be imprisoned until their trial; those pleading or being found guilty of crimes at trial may be sentenced to a specified period of imprisonment. In simplest terms, a prison can also be described as a building in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed. Prisons can also be used as a tool of political repression by authoritarian regimes. Their perceived opponents may be imprisoned for political crimes, often without trial or other legal due process; this use is illegal under most forms of international law governing fair administration of justice. In times of war, prisoners of war or detainees may be detained in military prisons or prisoner of war camps, and large groups of civilians might be imprisoned in internment camps. In American English, the terms prison and jail have separate definitions, though this is not always strictly adhered to in casual speech. A prison or penitentiary holds people for longer periods of time, such as many years, and is operated by a state or federal government. A jail holds people for shorter periods of time (e.g. for shorter sentences or pre-trial detention) and is usually operated by a local government, typically the county sheriff. Outside of North America, prison and jail often have the same meaning.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prison

   A prison is a secure and confined place or institution where individuals who have been convicted of crimes are detained as part of their punishment. This penal institution is typically operated by the government and includes a regime to rehabilitate inmates, maintain discipline, and ensure public safety. Prisons can also refer to any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prisonnoun

   a place where persons are confined, or restrained of personal liberty; hence, a place or state o/ confinement, restraint, or safe custody

2. Prisonnoun

   specifically, a building for the safe custody or confinement of criminals and others committed by lawful authority

3. Prisonverb

   to imprison; to shut up in, or as in, a prison; to confine; to restrain from liberty

4. Prisonverb

   to bind (together); to enchain

5. Etymology: [F., fr. L. prehensio, prensio, a seizing, arresting, fr. prehendre, prendere, to lay hold of, to seize. See Prehensile, and cf. Prize, n., Misprision.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prison

   A prison, also known as gaol or jail, is a place in which people are physically confined and usually deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime. Other terms used are penitentiary, correctional facility, remand centre, detention centre, and gaol or jail. In some legal systems some of these terms have distinct meanings. A criminal suspect who has been charged with or is likely to be charged with criminal offense or Offence may be held on remand in prison if he or she is denied or unable to meet conditions of bail, or is unable or unwilling to post bail. A criminal defendant may also be held in prison while awaiting trial or a trial verdict. If found guilty, a defendant will be convicted and may receive a custodial sentence requiring imprisonment. As well as convicted or suspected criminals, prisons may be used for internment of those not charged with a crime. Prisons may also be used as a tool of political repression to detain political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and "enemies of the state", particularly by authoritarian regimes. In times of war or conflict, prisoners of war may also be detained in prisons. A prison system is the organizational arrangement of the provision and operation of prisons.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prison

   priz′n, n. a building for the confinement of criminals, &c.: a jail: any place of confinement.—v.t. to shut in prison, restrain.—n.pl. Pris′on-bars, whatever confines or restrains.—ns. Pris′oner, one arrested or confined in prison: a captive; Pris′oner's-, Pris′on-base, a game among boys, in which those who are caught in a certain way are confined as prisoners—a corr. of prison-bars; Pris′on-fē′ver, typhus-fever; Pris′on-house, place of confinement; Pris′onment (Shak.), confinement in a prison—usually imprisonment; Pris′on-ship; Pris′on-van, a closed conveyance for carrying prisoners.—State prisoner, one confined for a political offence in a state prison. [Fr.,—L. prensio, -onis, for prehensio, a seizing—prehendĕre, -hensum, to seize.]

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prison

   1. A place where any lady may have a baby without fearing society. 2. An institution where even crooks go wrong. 3. The House of a Thousand Tears. 4. The last resort of the obscure to achieve fame. 5. A banker's mess-hall. 6. A place where men go to take the vow of chastity, poverty and obedience. 7. An example of a Socialist's Paradise, where equality prevails, everything is supplied, and competition is eliminated.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prison

   The prison symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the prison symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Correctional Institution
   • Situation

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Prison' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1611

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Prison' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2483

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Prison' in Nouns Frequency: #638

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for Prison »

1. porins

2. prions

3. spinor

How to pronounce Prison?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Prison in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Prison in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Prison in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Prison in a Sentence

1. Sean Kelley:

   Prisons are designed to punish, to keep people afraid, to deter, this prison changed everything though. The people who built this prison said 'why not rehabilitate, why not inspire penance?' So they built this building calling it a penitentiary. The prison at that time was state-of-the-art, revolutionary and the most expensive in the world. In operation from 1829 to 1971, thousands passed through the large gates in the 142 years it was in operation. The prisoners included some notorious criminals like Al Capone and bank robber William Slick Willie Sutton. Sutton, in fact, was part of a 1945 jailbreak. He and 11 other prisoners built a tunnel they thought would carry them to freedom. Instead, within months after the well-planned escape, all 12 inmates who broke out were caught and returned. Slick Willie was captured just 3 minutes after breaking free. In operation from 1829 to 1971, thousands passed through the large gates in the 142 years it was in operation. The prisoners included some notorious criminals like Al Capone and bank robber William.

2. Kamil Shah:

   I wish I could fight a legal case on behalf of all innocent Pakistanis who were in prison and tortured.

3. Sahid Shabaninejad:

   I am amazed the Iranian government is afraid of a 15-year-old girl, a young girl is in constant fear in prison and cannot sleep at night.

4. Frontier Myanmar:

   Following a brief hearing, Danny Fenster was remanded to Insein Prison for two weeks and is scheduled to appear again in court on July 1. No reason was given for the filing of the charge against him, nevertheless, we know that Danny Fenster has done nothing to warrant this 505a charge. We condemn Danny Fenster detention and demand Danny Fenster immediate and unconditional release.

5. Justin Berry:

   This simply about politics and a political agenda that is taking place with these radical liberal district attorneys, if they can't defund us and get rid of us that way—now they're going to try and de-police us by sending us to prison and indicting us.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Prison
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Prison
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Prison
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Prison
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Prison
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Prison
9. ^ The Roycroft Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36566/36566-h/36566-h.htm#:~:text=Prison
10. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Prison