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. In some cases you can use "Penitentiary" instead a noun "Prison", when it comes to topics like enclosure, free, gaol, residence for incarcerating criminals. popular alternative
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. You can use "Prison" instead a noun "Penitentiary", if it concerns topics such as place, enclosure, free, gaol. popular alternative
Nearby Word: penitential
Mutual synonyms
Cite this Source
Penitentiary and Prison. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/prison/penitentiary
Prison & Penitentiary. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/prison/penitentiary>.
Penitentiary or Prison. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/prison/penitentiary.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "prison" and "penitentiary" have occurred on timeline