Pronunciation

/prɪzən/

Definitions

Noun

1. A place where people who have been convicted of a crime are held, often under guard, during the time they are serving their sentence.

   • Definition: A facility designed to confine individuals awaiting trial or serving a punishment for a committed offense.
   • Example: “The prison population has been steadily increasing over the years.”

2. (informal) A restrictive or oppressive environment or situation.

   • Example: “Life in a corporate prison, where creativity is stifled.”

Verb

1. To confine someone in a prison or similar institution.

   • Example: “The judge sentenced him to prison for five years.”

2. To subject to a restrictive or difficult situation.

   • Example: “She felt imprisoned by her job and longed for freedom.”

Adjective

1. Characterizing a place or condition where people are confined, typically as punishment.

   • Example: “The harsh prison conditions made rehabilitation challenging.”

2. Imprisoning or causing imprisonment.

   • Example: “The law imposed a prison mentality on the citizens.”

Phrases

• “Serve time in prison” means to spend a period in prison as a punishment.
• “Escape from prison” refers to the act of breaking out of jail.
• “Prison reform” is a movement advocating for better conditions and treatment within prisons.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The prisoner’s family visited him once a month at the prison.”
• Verb: “The convict was transferred to a maximum-security prison after his escape attempt.”
• Adjective: “The strict prison regime left no room for personal freedoms.”

Synonyms

• Jail
• Detention center
• Correctional facility
• Penal colony
• Compound

Note: The verb “prison” is less commonly used as a verb to mean confinement, with “sentence” or “imprison” being more typical in that context. However, it can still be used in certain situations to convey the act of placing someone in prison.