penitentiary

n., pl., -ries.

1. A prison for those convicted of major crimes.
2. Roman Catholic Church.
   1. A tribunal of the Roman Curia having jurisdiction in matters relating to penance, dispensations, and papal absolutions.
   2. A priest whose special function is the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular church or diocese.

adj.

1. Of or for the purpose of penance; penitential.
2. Relating to or used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers.
3. Resulting in or punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary: a penitentiary offense.

[Middle English penitenciarie, penance officer, episcopal prison, from Medieval Latin pēnitentiāria, feminine of pēnitentiārius, from Latin paenitentia, penitence, from paenitēns, penitent. See penitent.]

noun

A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention: brig, house of correction, jail, keep, prison. Informal lockup, pen³. Slang big house, can, clink, cooler, coop, hoosegow, joint, jug, pokey¹, slammer, stir². Chiefly Regional calaboose. See free/unfree.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A prison or place of confinement where persons convicted of felonies serve their term of imprisonment.

See: jail.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes
  Synonym: pen

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The adjective penitentiary has one meaning:

Meaning #1: used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - tugthus, fængsel
adj. - bods-, straffe-

Nederlands (Dutch)
strafgevangenis, penitentiaris (Katholieke kerk), betreffende bestraffing/ boetedoening

Français (French)
n. - (US) pénitencier, (Relig) pénitencier, pénitencerie
adj. - pénitencier

Deutsch (German)
n. - Strafvollzugsanstalt
adj. - Buß...

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (νομ.) αναμορφωτική φυλακή, αναμορφωτήριο, ποινική φυλακή, σωφρονιστήριο

Italiano (Italian)
penitenziario

Português (Portuguese)
n. - penitenciária (f)

Русский (Russian)
исправительное заведение

Español (Spanish)
n. - penitenciaría, cárcel, presidio, reformatorio
adj. - penitencial, penal

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - straffanstalt, fängelse

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
听悔僧, 赎免局, 教诲师, 改过的, 惩罚的, 感化的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 聽悔僧, 贖免局, 教誨師
adj. - 改過的, 懲罰的, 感化的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 교회사, 고행소, 감화원
adj. - 회개의, 감화의, 징계의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 刑務所

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) إصلاحيه, سجن إصلاحي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮כלא לשיקום אסירים, לשכה אפיפיורית המחליטה בענייני עונשים והיתרים‬
adj. - ‮של תשובה, של תיקון האסיר, משרד אפיפיורי המחליט בענייני עונשים והיתרים, גוררת עונש (עבירה)‬

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