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penitentiary
A penitentiary is a prison, or a tribunal in the Roman Catholic Church. (noun)
- An example of a penitentiary is a federal prison.
- An example of a penitentiary is a judgment session overseen by a cardinal that deals with questions of conscience.
Penitentiary means punishable by imprisonment, or used for punishment or disciplining. (adjective)
An example of penitentiary used as an adjective is in the phrase "penitentiary ruling," which means a ruling sending someone to prison for punishment.
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See penitentiary in Webster's New World College Dictionary
See penitentiary in American Heritage Dictionary 4
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