Penitentiary almost always refers to prison. It is most often used in the official names of state and federal prisons in the U.S. and Canada.

What does the word penitentiary mean in English?

Legal Definition of penitentiary

: a state or federal prison for the punishment and reformation of convicted felons — compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, lockup. More from Merriam-Webster on penitentiary. Nglish: Translation of penitentiary for Spanish Speakers.

Who introduced the term penitentiary?

Etymology. From Middle English penitentiary, from Medieval Latin pēnitentiārius (“place of penitence”), from Latin paenitentia (“penitence”), term used by the Quakers in Pennsylvania during the 1790s, describing a place for penitents to dwell upon their sins.

Why is it called penitentiary?

Penitentiary comes from the Latin paenitentia, meaning "repentance." A penitentiary is a place you are sent to make repentance for a crime committed. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, a penitentiary is a priest who administers the sacrament of penance, or hears people's confessions.

What is another word for penitentiary?

In this page you can discover 32 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for penitentiary, like: prison, jail, punitive, poky, refractory, reformatory, penal institution, pen, penal, brig and can.

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23 related questions found

How do you use the word penitentiary in a sentence?

Penitentiary in a Sentence ?

1. My brother is a guard inside of a penitentiary that houses traitors, military spies, and the like.
2. After hearing the jury's verdict, the judge sentenced the defendant to sixty years in the state penitentiary.
3. Most of the inmates in the penitentiary have committed major criminal offenses.

What is a state penitentiary?

: a prison maintained by a state especially to incarcerate those convicted of serious crimes.

What is a Catholic penitentiary?

The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church. The Apostolic Penitentiary has jurisdiction only over matters in the internal forum.

What is the difference between a jail and a penitentiary?

A prison or penitentiary holds people for longer periods of time, such as many years, and is operated by a state or federal government. A jail holds people for shorter periods of time (e.g. for shorter sentences or pre-trial detention) and is usually operated by a local government, typically the county sheriff.

Where is the word penitentiary from?

It comes from the Medieval Latin pēnitēntiārius, from Latin paenitēns, meaning “penitent.” Penitent can mean “expressing sorrow or remorse for an offense” or “a person who expresses such remorse.” Penitentiary, penitent, penance, and repent are all related to the Latin verb paenitēre, meaning “to regret” or “to be ...

What is a warden?

1 : one having care or charge of something : guardian, keeper. 2a : regent sense 2. b : the governor of a town, district, or fortress.

What does guardhouse mean?

1 : a building occupied by a guard or used as a headquarters by soldiers on guard duty. 2 : a military jail.

What is a holding pen in jail?

1. holding cell - a jail in a courthouse where accused persons can be confined during a trial.

What are plenary indulgences?

: a remission of the entire temporal punishment for sin.

What does the Roman Curia do?

Roman Curia, Latin Curia Romana, the group of various Vatican bureaus that assist the pope in the day-to-day exercise of his primatial jurisdiction over the Roman Catholic church.

What is Eastern State Penitentiary used for?

The prison is currently a U.S. National Historic Landmark, which is open to the public as a museum for tours seven days a week, twelve months a year, 10 am to 5 pm.

Why is Eastern State Penitentiary famous?

Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners.

What's the longest time you can be in jail?

The longest the person can be incarcerated anywhere is five years if that is his sentence.

Is there life sentence in Canada?

Life imprisonment in Canada is a criminal sentence for certain offences that has an indeterminate length and is the most severe punishment for any crime in the country. Criminal laws allowing for life imprisonment are enacted by the Parliament of Canada and apply uniformly across the country.

What do reformatory mean?

: a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation.

What is a warden UK?

A street warden is someone who patrols the streets in order to aid the police at a community level. Examples include the Red Caps of London. ... Some local authorities have empowered street wardens to issue on the spot fines for littering and dog fouling.

What is a female warden called?

The warden in a women's prison is also called a matron, which may lead you to conclude that the term is often not a glowing compliment. In a wedding, you can have a maid of honor (the bride's unmarried attendant) or a matron of honor (one who's married).

Is a warden a cop?

Fish and game wardens, also known at conservation officers, are law enforcement officials who are primarily responsible for protecting fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. ... They have the same authority as police officers and are authorized to enforce state laws just as any peace officer would.