Penitentiary
Penitentiary noun - A place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody.
Usage example: a sentence in the state penitentiary for robbery
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Synonyms for Penitentiary
Prison is a synonym for penitentiary in jail topic. In some cases you can use "Prison" instead a noun "Penitentiary", when it comes to topics like place, enclosure, free, gaol. popular alternative
Nearby Word: penitential
Prison
Prison noun - A place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody.
Usage example: the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison
Penitentiary is a synonym for prison (North American) in jail topic. You can use "Penitentiary" instead a noun "Prison", if it concerns topics such as enclosure, free, gaol, residence for incarcerating criminals. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Cite this Source
Prison and Penitentiary. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/penitentiary/prison
Penitentiary & Prison. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/penitentiary/prison>.
Prison or Penitentiary. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/penitentiary/prison.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "penitentiary" and "prison" have occurred on timeline