prison

prison — noun

1. A building with guards where people who have broken the law are sent to live as

1.nounB1
Definition

A building with guards where people who have broken the law are sent to live as punishment.

Example

Takeshi was sent to prison for stealing money from the bank where he worked.

uncountable: 'to prison' without article for confinement

The old prison on the hill held more than eight hundred inmates in the 1990s.

countable: 'the prison' referring to a specific building

Common collocations
  • send to prison
  • release from prison
  • serve time in prison
  • break out of prison
  • prison sentence
  • prison cell
  • prison guard
  • prison walls
Synonyms
  • jail

    often smaller, used for short-term holding or waiting for trial

  • penitentiary

    formal American term, usually for long-term, serious offenders

  • correctional facility

    formal or official term, focused on the reform aspect

Antonyms
  • freedom

    the state of not being confined

Grammar Patterns

usually preceded by 'in' or 'to' without article when referring to confinement

Usage Note

When referring to the status of being a prisoner, 'prison' usually appears without an article: 'send to prison,' 'in prison,' 'released from prison.' When referring to a specific building or type of building, an article is used: 'the prison on Main Street,' 'a maximum-security prison.'

Common Mistakes

He was sent to the prison for five years.
He was sent to prison for five years.
When talking about being imprisoned as a punishment, 'prison' is uncountable and no article is needed.
She works at prison.
She works at a prison.
When referring to the workplace building, use an article.

2. The whole system of laws, courts, and institutions that society uses to punish p

2.nounB2
Definition

The whole system of laws, courts, and institutions that society uses to punish people who commit crimes by keeping them locked up.

Example

Voters in Ohio want the local government to spend less on prison and more on building schools.

uncountable abstract use: 'spend less on prison'

The justice minister announced new plans to reform the prison system and offer job training to young inmates.

Common collocations
  • prison reform
  • prison system
  • alternatives to prison
  • spend on prison
  • the role of prison
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • rehabilitation

    the alternative approach focused on reform rather than punishment

  • probation

    a penalty that allows someone to stay in the community under supervision

Usage Note

This sense is always uncountable and refers to the abstract institution. It cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. Common in phrases like 'prison reform,' 'prison system,' 'alternatives to prison.'

Common Mistakes

The prison reform has many supporters.
Prison reform has many supporters.
When talking about the institution as a system, 'prison' is uncountable and does not take 'the.'

3. A situation or way of living that feels like being locked up because you cannot

3.nounC1
Definition

A situation or way of living that feels like being locked up because you cannot easily leave it or change it.

Example

Paloma felt trapped in the prison of her unhappy marriage for years before leaving.

countable with 'of': 'the prison of [situation]'

For the young painter, the coastal village was a prison of strict family rules and gossipy neighbors.

Common collocations
  • a prison of
  • become a prison
  • feel like a prison
  • turn into a prison
  • escape the prison of
Synonyms
  • trap

    a more direct word for a difficult situation you cannot escape

  • cage

    suggests a situation that restricts freedom more physically

  • confinement

    more neutral; being restricted in movement or choice

Antonyms
  • freedom

    the ability to do what you want and go where you want

  • liberation

    the act of escaping a trapped state

Grammar Patterns

usually followed by 'of' or a relative clause

Usage Note

This is a figurative, metaphorical sense. It is always countable and usually appears with 'a' or 'the,' often followed by 'of' to specify the situation. Common in literary or emotional contexts.

Common Mistakes

She was in prison of fear.
She was in a prison of fear.
This figurative sense is countable, so an article is needed.

prison — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to places where people are confined, but they differ in scope and register. 'Prison' is the general term for long-term confinement after a criminal conviction. 'Jail' is smaller, often run by local authorities, and used for short-term holding or for people awaiting trial. In American English, 'jail' and 'prison' are distinct: jails hold people for less than a year; prisons hold those with longer sentences. 'Penitentiary' is a formal American term for a state or federal prison for serious crimes. 'Detention center' is a broader, more neutral term that can include immigration detention or juvenile facilities. 'Correctional facility' is an official euphemism that emphasizes rehabilitation. For everyday use, 'prison' is the safest choice. Example: 'He spent three years in prison for robbery, but only one night in jail after his arrest.'

jail ↗penitentiarydetention centercorrectional facility

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • send to prison
  • be released from prison
  • break out of prison
  • put someone in prison
  • serve time in prison
  • escape from prison
  • spend time in prison

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'prison' entered English around the 12th century from Old French 'prisoun,' meaning 'captivity' or 'a place of captivity.' The French term came from Latin 'prensionem' (a capture), which itself came from 'prehendere' (to seize or take hold of). The original idea was not of a building but of the act of being captured, and only later did the word come to refer to the physical place where captives were held.