prison term
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. The period of time a person is legally confined to a prison as punishment for a crime. It refers to the duration of a custodial sentence imposed by a court of law.
Usage
The term "prison term" is used to specify the length of a judicial sentence that must be served in a correctional facility. It is a formal and legal expression.
Examples
- The judge imposed a prison term of ten years for the armed robbery.
- After pleading guilty, she began serving her five-year prison term.
- The new law aims to reduce the average prison term for non-violent offenses.
Advanced Usage
- "to serve a prison term": This is the most common collocation, meaning to undergo the period of imprisonment.
- He is currently serving a long prison term for fraud.
- The phrase can be modified to indicate the length (e.g., ) or the type (e.g., ).
Variants and Related Words
- Sentence (noun): The punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court. A "prison term" is a type of sentence.
- Incarceration (noun): The state of being confined in prison; the act of imprisoning someone.
- Jail time (noun, informal): A common synonym for a prison term, often used for shorter sentences served in local jails.
Synonyms
- Sentence
- Incarceration
- Jail time
- Stretch (slang)
- Time (as in "doing time")
Antonyms
- Probation
- Parole
- Release
- Freedom
Noun
- the period of time a prisoner is imprisoned
- he served a prison term of 15 months
- his sentence was 5 to 10 years
- he is doing time in the county jail