Meaning

3 senses
  1. (countable, uncountable)A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government.

    The cold stone walls of the prison had stood for over a century.

    Gefängnis, Knast, Kerker

    тюрьма́tjurʹmá, темни́цаtemníca, остро́гostróg

    в'язни́цяvʺjaznýcja, тюрма́tjurmá, темни́цяtemnýcja

  2. (uncountable)Confinement in prison (sense 1).

    Prison was a harrowing experience for him.

    Haft, Gefangenschaft

    тюре́мное заключе́ниеtjurémnoje zaključénije, заточе́ние в тюрьму́zatočénije v tjurʹmú, тюрьма́tjurʹmá

  3. (colloquial, countable, figuratively, uncountable)Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.

    The academy was a prison for many of its students because of its strict teachers.

More definitions
  • a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
  • a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement

Examples

1515 sentences
  1. The school looks like a prison.

    Школа виглядає як в'язниця.

    ruЭта школа похожа на тюрьму.

    deDie Schule sieht aus wie ein Gefängnis.

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  2. She visited her husband in prison.

    Вона відвідала свого чоловіка в тюрмі.

    ruОна навестила мужа в тюрьме.

    deSie besuchte ihren Mann im Gefängnis.

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  3. Tom spent three years in prison.

    Том провів у в'язниці три роки.

    ruТом три года провёл в тюрьме.

    deTom verbrachte drei Jahre im Gefängnis.

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  4. Tom helped Mary escape from prison.

    Том допоміг Мері втекти з в'язниці.

    ruТом помог Мэри сбежать из тюрьмы.

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  5. What were you in prison for?

    За що ти сидів у в'язниці?

    ruЗа что ты сидел в тюрьме?

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Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes:
Русский
By meaning 2
place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes:
confinement in a prison:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
place of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes:
confinement in a prison:

Origin

From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French

From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: prisons
Singularprison
Pluralprisons

regular

Synonyms

4 synonyms
Close in meaning
  • a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment:prison house
  • a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement:prison house

Word family

59 related words

Collocations

12 patterns
  • been in prison
  • out of prison
  • time in prison
  • released from prison
  • years in prison
  • life in prison
  • in prison for
  • escaped from prison
  • go to prison
  • die in prison
  • a prison guard
  • still in prison

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
prison — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto