as in prisons
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penitentiaries
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.
—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penitentiaries
Noun
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The bullet points highlight Steyer’s hedge fund’s investments in fossil fuel, tobacco, private prisons and casinos.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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In Pennsylvania and across the nation, suboxone is being heralded as the answer to addiction, especially in prisons and jails.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Earlier on Thursday, her sentence was reduced by a further one-sixth as part of a wider amnesty of all prisoners in Myanmar’s jails.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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Carranza said county jails need to be modernized and need more medical staff to care for a population that is increasingly mentally ill and struggling with addiction.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penitentiaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penitentiaries. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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