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prison

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈprɪzən/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈprɪzən/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(prizən)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pris•on /ˈprɪzən/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. [countable] a place for keeping people accused of a crime and awaiting trial, or for keeping prisoners.
  2. imprisonment:[uncountable]thirty years in prison.
  3. [countable] any place or state of confinement.
See -pris-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pris•on  (prizən),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.
  2. See state prison. 
  3. any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.
  4. imprisonment.
  • Latin pre()nsiōn- (stem of prehēnsiō) a seizure, arrest, equivalent. to prehēns(us) (past participle of prehendere to seize) + -iōn- -ion; doublet of prehension
  • Old French, variant of preson imprisonment, a prison
  • Middle English prison, earlier prisun bef. 1150
prison•like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
prison /ˈprɪzən/ n
  1. a public building used to house convicted criminals and accused persons remanded in custody and awaiting trial
    See also jail, penitentiary, reformatory
  2. any place of confinement or seeming confinement
Etymology: 12th Century: from Old French prisun, from Latin prēnsiō a capturing, from prehendere to lay hold of
'prison' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: the [local, state] prison, prison [cells, guards, staff, showers, inmates], a [low, high, medium, maximum] -security prison, more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "prison" in the title:

... like lifers turn to trusty prison guards
'If anyone doesn't obey the law, they will be sent to prison'
'Strict discipline prison' and 'death-sentenced' (noun)
25 years to life in prison without parole
a boggards' prison
a face like state's prison
a four-year prison sentence
a possible five years in prison
a prison / prison
A prison/penitentiary
a/the prison
Admitted burglar learning to be a better man in prison
after coming out of prison
"an 11-to-20-year prison sentence"
And, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am not fit,
Based on dictation allegedly given to the prison chaplain
being prisoned / being in prison
break out of <the> prison/school/hospital
bull, hack, screw (prison guard)
but <he> went to prison
but upon no man’s prison door
C.O. [in a prison?]
Called to the prison to put out a fire
cell wing in prison
charitable prison
checking out on the prison bus
Clink Prison in this old London Prison you can experience
Correct twenty (in prison)
courtyard of a prison
cross-loaded with blanks for the prison plate-shop
more...

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