prisonprison /ˈprɪzən/ ●●● W2 noun 1
[countable, uncountable] a large building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime, or while waiting to go to court for their trial SYN jail: in prison He spent 26 years in prison for killing his girlfriend. She did not want to go to prison again. Nine of the 15 men were sent to prison for their role in the conspiracy. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence (=the length of time someone must stay in prison). Davis was released from prison after three months.2[uncountable] the system of sending people to be kept in a prison, or the experience of being sent to a prison: Prison is an expensive and inefficient way to deal with social problems.3[singular] an unpleasant place or situation which it is difficult to escape from: Married life had become a prison for her. [Origin: 1100–1200 Old French, Latin prehensio act of seizing, from prehendere] → see also imprisonCOLLOCATIONSverbsgo to prison She went to prison for theft.put somebody in prison I don’t think mentally ill people should be put in prison.send somebody to prison I was afraid I might get sent to prison.sentence somebody to prison The killer was sentenced to life in prison.throw somebody in/into prison informal (=put someone in prison) She was arrested and thrown into prison.release somebody from prison (also let somebody out of prison) He was released from prison six weeks ago. When is he going to be let out of prison?get out of prison (also leave prison) He managed to find a job a month after he got out of prison.escape from (a) prison Blake escaped from a Missouri prison last year.be transferred to a prison He was transferred to a prison in Kansas.serve time/eight months/20 years etc. in prison (also spend time etc. in prison) He spent four years in prison for burglary. The two men met while serving time in prison.prison + nounsa prison sentence/term (=a period of time in prison as a punishment) She is serving a four-year prison sentence.a prison cell (=a room where a prisoner lives) Overcrowding means that many prisoners have to share a prison cell.prison walls (=used to show that someone is in prison) He studied law while behind prison walls.a prison camp He led an escape from a Communist prison camp.the prison population (=all the prisoners in a country) The government wants to reduce the size of the prison population.a prison inmate (=someone who is in prison) Sixty percent of prison inmates do not read above grade school level. ► People who are kept in prison are sometimes called prison inmates, but are more usually called prisoners.a prison guard Last month, a prisoner attacked two prison guards with a knife.a prison warden (=the person who runs a prison) The prison warden said he could not accept any more prisoners.the prison system He plans to reform the prison system.adjectives/nouns + prison(a) federal prison (=for people who break national laws) She was sent to federal prison for smuggling.a maximum-security prison Inmates in the maximum-security prison are kept in their cells 23 hours a day.a minimum-security prison He spent two years in a minimum-security prison for bank fraud.
[countable, uncountable] a large building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime, or while waiting to go to court for their trial SYN jail: in prison He spent 26 years in prison for killing his girlfriend. She did not want to go to prison again. Nine of the 15 men were sent to prison for their role in the conspiracy. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence (=the length of time someone must stay in prison). Davis was released from prison after three months.2[uncountable] the system of sending people to be kept in a prison, or the experience of being sent to a prison: Prison is an expensive and inefficient way to deal with social problems.3[singular] an unpleasant place or situation which it is difficult to escape from: Married life had become a prison for her. [Origin: 1100–1200 Old French, Latin prehensio act of seizing, from prehendere] → see also imprisonCOLLOCATIONSverbsgo to prison She went to prison for theft.put somebody in prison I don’t think mentally ill people should be put in prison.send somebody to prison I was afraid I might get sent to prison.sentence somebody to prison The killer was sentenced to life in prison.throw somebody in/into prison informal (=put someone in prison) She was arrested and thrown into prison.release somebody from prison (also let somebody out of prison) He was released from prison six weeks ago. When is he going to be let out of prison?get out of prison (also leave prison) He managed to find a job a month after he got out of prison.escape from (a) prison Blake escaped from a Missouri prison last year.be transferred to a prison He was transferred to a prison in Kansas.serve time/eight months/20 years etc. in prison (also spend time etc. in prison) He spent four years in prison for burglary. The two men met while serving time in prison.prison + nounsa prison sentence/term (=a period of time in prison as a punishment) She is serving a four-year prison sentence.a prison cell (=a room where a prisoner lives) Overcrowding means that many prisoners have to share a prison cell.prison walls (=used to show that someone is in prison) He studied law while behind prison walls.a prison camp He led an escape from a Communist prison camp.the prison population (=all the prisoners in a country) The government wants to reduce the size of the prison population.a prison inmate (=someone who is in prison) Sixty percent of prison inmates do not read above grade school level. ► People who are kept in prison are sometimes called prison inmates, but are more usually called prisoners.a prison guard Last month, a prisoner attacked two prison guards with a knife.a prison warden (=the person who runs a prison) The prison warden said he could not accept any more prisoners.the prison system He plans to reform the prison system.adjectives/nouns + prison(a) federal prison (=for people who break national laws) She was sent to federal prison for smuggling.a maximum-security prison Inmates in the maximum-security prison are kept in their cells 23 hours a day.a minimum-security prison He spent two years in a minimum-security prison for bank fraud.