prison

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'prison' is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to refer to a place where people are held as a punishment for a crime they have committed, or a place of confinement for criminals. Example sentence: "After being convicted of a serious crime, the criminal was sentenced to life in prison."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They point out that the Brotherhood leaders, most of whom had been arrested only days earlier, left jail along with 20,000 other prisoners after prison guards left their positions en masse amid the chaos of the revolution in early 2011.

The Guardian

This year they also ran a singing workshop in Wad Ras women's prison.

The Guardian

I want to do my best not to die in prison.

The Guardian

He was sent to prison, where he served a sentence of 24 days, an experience that traumatised him.

The Guardian - Arts

Shah chairs a mental health charity and is well known locally in Bradford for campaigning on behalf of her mother, who was released from prison in 2000 after serving 14 years for putting poison into the food of Mohammed Azam, a local drug dealer who she feared was planning to sexually abuse her daughters.

The Guardian

Montgomery, who pleaded guilty in 2012, faces life in prison on a hate crime charge and five years on conspiracy.

The Guardian

Shelbie Brooke Richards, who pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy and concealing the crime by lying to police, faces eight years in prison at sentencing on 16 April.

The Guardian

When Poland became a communist state in 1947, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for joining the Home Army, serving seven.

The Guardian

From the dock of federal court, before being taken to prison on Tuesday, Anwar condemned the judges for their decision.

The Guardian

The council had been asked to rule on the case of Ahmed Sahnouni, a Moroccan-born man naturalised in 2003, who was convicted and given a seven-year prison sentence in March 2013 for "association with criminals in relation to a terrorist plot".

The Guardian

The same might well be said of La Santé prison, which looms so large and menacingly over the urinal and the boulevard.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about "prison", consider the specific type of facility you are referring to (e.g., jail, penitentiary, correctional facility) to ensure accuracy and avoid generalizations.

Common error

Avoid using "prison" as a catch-all term. Differentiate between jails (short-term holding) and prisons (long-term sentences) to maintain clarity and precision in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The word "prison" primarily functions as a noun, denoting a building or institution for the confinement of people convicted of crimes. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and commonly used in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "prison" is a commonly used noun referring to a place of confinement for convicted individuals. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely employed across various contexts, especially in News & Media. When using "prison", it's important to be precise and consider alternatives like "jail" or "correctional facility" depending on the specific context you are referring to. Pay attention to the length of the sentence being served or the specific type of facility. By differentiating between these terms, you ensure clarity and avoid overgeneralizations in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

correctional facility

Emphasizes the rehabilitative aspect of the institution more than "prison".

penitentiary

A more formal and often older term for a prison, implying reflection and repentance.

jail

Often used for shorter sentences or pre-trial detention, unlike "prison" which implies longer sentences.

incarceration

Refers to the act of imprisoning someone, rather than the place itself.

imprisonment

Similar to incarceration, focusing on the state of being confined.

detention center

May refer to facilities holding individuals for immigration or other non-criminal reasons.

house of detention

A more archaic term for a place of confinement, now less commonly used.

stockade

Implies a military prison or a temporary enclosure for prisoners.

gaol

An archaic spelling of jail, now rarely used.

lawful custody

Refers to the state of being legally held, which could be in various facilities including prisons.

FAQs

How is "prison" used in a sentence?

"Prison" functions as a noun and refers to a place of confinement for individuals convicted of crimes. For example: "He was sentenced to five years in "prison"."

What are some alternatives to the word "prison"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "jail", "correctional facility", or "penitentiary".

What's the difference between "jail" and "prison"?

"Jail" typically holds individuals awaiting trial or serving short sentences, while "prison" is for longer sentences after a conviction. Therefore, the key difference is sentence length.

Is it correct to say someone was "sent to the prison"?

While grammatically correct, it's more common and natural to say someone was "sent to "prison"" without the article "the". Using "the" implies a specific, previously mentioned prison.