Word
penitentiary
Phoneticspen·i·ten·tiary
US/ˌpɛnɪˈtɛntʃɝi/
UK/pˌɛnɪtˈɛnʃjəɹi/
Definitions
01a prison
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law American English · Formal
n. a large prison for people who have committed serious crimes.
n. a state or federal correctional facility for the incarceration of convicted felons.
Español:penitenciaría
“After the trial, he was sent to a state penitentiary to serve his ten-year sentence.”
“The defendant was sentenced to twenty years in a federal penitentiary without the possibility of early parole.”
02relating to punishment
C2 · Proficiency Law Formal · Technical
adj. relating to the punishment of criminals or the prison system.
adj. relating to or used for the punishment and reform of criminals; pertaining to the penal system.
“The government is looking at new penitentiary measures to reduce crime.”
“The commission proposed a series of penitentiary reforms aimed at improving the living conditions of long-term inmates.”
Synonyms
03religious officer
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Religion Formal · Technical
n. a priest in the Catholic Church who deals with the forgiveness of sins.
n. a priest or officer in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance or handles cases of conscience.
“The Grand Penitentiary is a high-ranking official in the Vatican.”
“The bishop appointed a diocesan penitentiary to handle complex cases of absolution that required special authority.”
Synonyms
Usage
Commonly used in North American legal and administrative contexts; less frequent in British English.
Real-World Examples
“Uthmeier’s catchy name was meant to grab attention, particularly from President Donald Trump, who had recently proposed reopening the notorious, long-shuttered Alcatraz federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay.” “Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was pronounced dead at 10.13am at the Oklahoma state penitentiary in McAlester.” Etymology
From Middle English penitentiary, from Medieval Latin pēnitentiārius (“place of penitence”), from Latin paenitentia (“penitence”), term used by the Quakers in Pennsylvania during the 1790s, describing a place for penitents to dwell upon their sins.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/penitentiary
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0