penitentiary
UK: /ˌpenɪˈtenʃəri/ | US: /ˌpenɪˈtenʃəri/
n. a prison for people convicted of serious crimes
n. (historical) a place of penance or religious discipline
Derived from Latin paenitentia ("repentance"), via Medieval Latin penitentiarius ("pertaining to penance"). The root penitent reflects the original purpose of such institutions—reforming offenders through repentance. The suffix -ary (from Latin -arius) denotes a place associated with the root concept. Over time, the word shifted from religious contexts (e.g., monastic penitence) to secular criminal correction.
He was sentenced to ten years in a federal penitentiary.
The documentary exposed harsh conditions in the state penitentiary.
Historically, some penitentiaries emphasized solitary confinement for reflection.
The judge argued that rehabilitation should be the penitentiary's primary goal.
Escape attempts from maximum-security penitentiaries are rare but dangerous.