prison — English Dictionary

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.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   bridewellbig house

   Broader terms

   correctional facilitycorrectional institution

   Examples

   The cold stone walls of the prison had stood for over a century.

2. Confinement in prison (sense 1).

   Usage

   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   imprisonment

   Examples

   Prison was a harrowing experience for him.

3. Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.

   Usage

   • Colloquial
   • Countable
   • Figurative
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The academy was a prison for many of its students because of its strict teachers.

Verb

1. To imprison.

   Usage

   • Transitive

Noun

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

   Synonyms

   prison house

   Broader terms

   correctional institution

2. a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement

   Synonyms

   prison house

   Broader terms

   situationstate of affairs