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Definitions

penitentiary

[pen-i-ten-shuh-ree] / ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃə ri /


Example Sentences

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Alcatraz, which opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, was once considered among the most secure prisons in the United States due to its isolated island location and the strong currents surrounding it.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Early last year, prison officials transferred Hernández out of the federal detention center in Brooklyn, which largely holds pretrial detainees, and sent him to the high-security Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

In it, the special agent in charge recounts an interview done with one of Ray’s cellmates in the Missouri penitentiary who reported Ray having said to him:

From Slate • Dec. 1, 2025

Under Georgia's new penitentiary code, which came into force in January last year, inmates "have the right to fresh air at least one hour on a daily basis", it said.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

White gathered enough evidence to convict the former warden, who became prisoner No. 24207 in the same penitentiary.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann




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