prison

noun

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.

(uncountable) Confinement in prison.

(colloquial, figurative) Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.

verb

(transitive) To imprison.

Roots

prehendopris- · Latin · grasp, seize

Synonyms for prison

jailn calaboose jailhousen penitentiaryn bridewell hoosegown slammern lockupn confinementn detentionn borstaln quod reformatoryn

Synonyms & related words for prison

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of prison — including jail, calaboose, jailhouse, penitentiary, bridewell, hoosegow. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to prison

Explore words related to prison — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include convicts, prisoners, incarcerated, incarceration, jailbirds, imprisonable, imprisonment, reimprison. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for prison

Common synonyms for prison include jail, calaboose, jailhouse, penitentiary, bridewell, hoosegow, slammer, lockup — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does prison come from?

The word prison breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pris-, from Latin prehendo (“grasp, seize”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.