prison

/prison/

Thân thiện

A man walks through the prison yard during exercise time.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A building or facility where people are legally held as punishment for crimes they have committed or while awaiting trial: A place of confinement operated by the state or federal government.
   • A situation or condition that feels like confinement: A state of being trapped or restricted, either physically or metaphorically.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • He was sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime.
  • The old prison was closed and a new, more modern facility was built.
  • After losing his job, he felt his small apartment had become a prison.

Advanced Usage

• "Prison of one's own making": A difficult situation created by one's own actions, thoughts, or emotions.
  • His crippling fear of failure became a prison of his own making.
• "Prison break": An escape from a prison. (Note: This is a compound noun listed here as an example of advanced usage, not as a definition of "prison" itself).
  • The famous prison break was plotted for months.

Variants and Related Words

• Prisoner (n): A person who is kept in prison.
  • The prisoners were allowed one hour of exercise per day.
• Imprison (v): To put someone in prison.
  • The king could imprison anyone without a trial.
• Prison camp (n): A camp for prisoners of war or political prisoners.

Synonyms

• Penitentiary: (Formal) A prison for people convicted of serious crimes.
• Jail: A place for the confinement of people accused or convicted of a crime, typically for shorter sentences or while awaiting trial.
• Dungeon: A dark, underground prison cell, often historical.

Related Phrases

• Behind bars: In prison.
  • The corrupt official is now behind bars.
• Prison term: The length of time a person is sentenced to spend in prison.
  • He received a prison term of five to ten years.
• Prison sentence: The punishment of being sent to prison, as declared by a court.
  • The judge handed down a harsh prison sentence.

Idioms

• Take someone to the cleaners / Throw the book at someone: (Idioms implying severe punishment, which can include a prison sentence).
  • The prosecutor threw the book at him, resulting in a maximum prison sentence.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement
2. a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

Từ đồng nghĩa

• prison house