prison

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Law

n. the time someone spends locked away as a punishment.

n. the state or condition of being incarcerated; often used without an article in prepositional phrases.

“He spent most of his adult life in prison for various small crimes.”

“The legal team argued that their client had already spent enough time in prison awaiting trial to justify an immediate release on parole.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a place or situation that makes you feel trapped or unhappy because you have no freedom.

n. a metaphorical or figurative use describing any environment or circumstance that feels excessively restrictive or oppressive.

日本語:監獄※

“Without any friends or hobbies, the small town felt like a prison to her.”

“To the creative spirit of the young artist, the rigid hierarchy and repetitive tasks of the corporate office became a psychological prison.”

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to put someone in a place they cannot leave.

v. to confine or shut up in or as if in a prison. This form is less common than the derived verb 'imprison'.

“The king decided to prison his enemies in the dark tower.”

“The poem describes how grief can prison a man's soul more effectively than any iron bars or stone walls.”