English Explanatory Dictionary

prison

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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.
  2. Confinement in prison.
  3. Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.
verb
  1. To imprison.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹɪzn̩/ [pʰɹ̠̊ɪzn̩] en-us-prison.ogg

Word forms

prison prisons prisoning prisoned

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

bridewell big house imprisonment

Derived words

antiprison cryoprison debtors' prison dispersal prison disprison emprison enprison imprison in prison megaprison military prison nonprison open prison passport prison postprison post prison Prislam Prisneyland prisonable prison bars prison base prison bitch prison-bound prison break prison breaker prison breaking prison camp prison cell prison chaser prisondom prisoner prison farm prison fever prison flower prisonful prison gay prison governor prison guard prisonguard prison hooch prison house prisonhouse prison-industrial complex prisonization prison justice prison labor prisonless prisonlike prisonment prison officer prisonous prison pocket prison psychosis prison purse prison record prison ring prison sentence prison state prison wall prison wallet
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