Penitentiary definition

pĕnĭ-tĕnshə-rē
penitentiaries
See word origin
Frequency:
A prison for those convicted of major crimes.
noun
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Relating to or used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers.
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Penitentiary is defined as a prison, or a tribunal in the Roman Catholic Church.

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.

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The definition of penitentiary is punishable by imprisonment, or used for punishment or disciplining.

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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A tribunal of the Roman Curia having jurisdiction in matters relating to penance, dispensations, and papal absolutions.
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A priest whose special function is the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular church or diocese.
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Of or for the purpose of penance; penitential.
adjective
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An office or tribunal headed by a cardinal (Grand Penitentiary) and dealing with matters of penance, confession, dispensation, absolution, etc.
noun
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A prison.
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A state or federal prison for persons convicted of serious crimes.
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A penal institution that is intended for long-term confinement of convicted criminals. See also jail.
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A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.
noun
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Of or relating to penance; penitential.
adjective
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Of or relating to the punishment of criminals.
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Resulting in or punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary.

A penitentiary offense.

adjective
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Of or for penance.
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Used in punishing, disciplining, and reforming.
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Making one liable to imprisonment in a penitentiary.
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Of or in a penitentiary.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
penitentiary
Plural:
penitentiaries

Origin of penitentiary

  • Middle English penitenciarie penance officer, episcopal prison from Medieval Latin pēnitentiāria feminine of pēnitentiārius from Latin paenitentia penitence from paenitēns penitent penitent

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Medieval Latin penitentiaria (“place of penitence"), term used by the Quakers in Pennsylvania during the 1790s, describing a place for penitents to dwell upon their sins.

    From Wiktionary

Penitentiary Sentence Examples

  • A penitentiary was established in 1817 at Milledgeville.

  • Other prominent buildings are the United States court house and post office, the state supreme court house, the county court house, the state penitentiary, the state armoury and the executive mansion.

  • The centres of population are Noumea (Numea), the capital, on a fine harbour of the west coast near the southern extremity of the island, with 7000 inhabitants; Bourail, an agricultural penitentiary (1800); La Foa, in the centre of the coffee plantations; Moindu, St Louis and St Vincent.

  • The note struck first in the Walnut Street penitentiary began a new era in prison treatment, and the methods adopted were destined to extend over the whole world.

  • The state maintains a penitentiary at Carson City and an insane asylum at Reno.

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Related articles

Words near penitentiary in the Dictionary