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

1. 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