penitentiary Synonyms

penitentiary Meaning

Wordnet

penitentiary (n)

a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes

Wordnet

penitentiary (s)

used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers

showing or constituting penance

Webster

penitentiary (a.)

Relating to penance, or to the rules and measures of penance.

Expressive of penitence; as, a penitentiary letter.

Used for punishment, discipline, and reformation.

Webster

penitentiary (n.)

One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.

One who does penance.

A small building in a monastery where penitents confessed.

That part of a church to which penitents were admitted.

An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc. Its chief is a cardinal, called the Grand Penitentiary, appointed by the pope.

An officer in some dioceses since A. D. 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.

A house of correction, in which offenders are confined for punishment, discipline, and reformation, and in which they are generally compelled to labor.

penitentiary Sentence Examples

  1. The hardened criminal was sent to a maximum-security penitentiary for his heinous crimes.
  2. The penitentiary's imposing walls held inmates who had committed the most severe offenses.
  3. Cells in the penitentiary were cramped and devoid of light, creating an environment of isolation and punishment.
  4. The daily routine of the penitentiary was monotonous and grueling, designed to break the spirits of its inmates.
  5. Solitary confinement in the penitentiary was a form of punishment so severe that it could drive the most hardened minds to madness.
  6. The warden of the penitentiary was a stern and unforgiving man who believed that rehabilitation was impossible for certain criminals.
  7. The penitentiary's medical facilities were inadequate, leaving inmates to suffer without proper care.
  8. The penitentiary's educational programs were severely limited, depriving inmates of opportunities to improve their lives.
  9. The conditions in the penitentiary violated basic human rights, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
  10. The overcrowding and violence within the penitentiary made it a dangerous and inhumane environment for both prisoners and staff.

FAQs About the word penitentiary

a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes, used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers, showing or constituting penanceRelatin

prison, jail, bastille, slammer, hoosegow, guardroom,brig, big house, pokey, hock

outside,outside,,

The hardened criminal was sent to a maximum-security penitentiary for his heinous crimes.

The penitentiary's imposing walls held inmates who had committed the most severe offenses.

Cells in the penitentiary were cramped and devoid of light, creating an environment of isolation and punishment.

The daily routine of the penitentiary was monotonous and grueling, designed to break the spirits of its inmates.