Definitions

jail

[jeyl] / dʒeɪl /

NOUN

place for incarceration

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cell lockup penitentiary prison

STRONG

bastille brig bullpen can clink cooler dungeon inside jailhouse joint pen pound rack reformatory slammer solitary stir stockade

WEAK

black hole detention camp house of correction penal institution up the river

VERB

incarcerate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confine detain hold imprison lock up sentence take away

STRONG

bastille book cage can constrain immure impound prison railroad

WEAK

put away put behind bars put on ice send up throw away the keys throw in dungeon throw the book at

Antonyms

STRONGEST

free let go liberate release

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 29-year-old was allowed out of jail on Monday to attend a meeting with his mother's doctor at the family's Skaugum estate outside Oslo.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Taylor Grundy, 22, of Gosport, was handed two and a half years in jail.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Jackson was arrested and later booked into jail on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

He died in his jail cell the next month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

“Yeah,” I mumble, though I don’t see how it’s “great news” that my mom isn’t in jail or the hospital.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

jail

Example Sentences

Related Words