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jail

jail

1.0
A building where people are kept as punishment or while waiting for their trial
  • noun
  • /dʒeɪl/
translation icon : cárcel
  • The suspect was taken to jail after his arrest.
  • go to jail
  • jail time
  • put in jail

As you know, my dad is in jail for child sex crimes.

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Examples

  • We'll spend the night in jail if they catch us now.

  • But anyone who has spent time in a jail or prison knows this.

  • So yeah, he went to jail, but not for long.

  • I would not last in jail or prison or hell.

  • How are you gonna feel if you end up back in jail?

  • On any given day, one in 10 was either in jail or juvenile detention.

    Academic text (2012)
  • He just got out of jail like this month.

  • I just got out of jail because I was arrested for piracy.

  • You are sentenced to one year in county jail and $300,000 in restitution.

  • Spending time in jail changed her perspective on life.

Synonyms

prison
vsjail
1.0

A building where people are kept as punishment or while waiting for trial

is a similar institution but often implies shorter or local custody
cell
vsjail
549 5.6

A small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is held

is the overall term for the building that contains such rooms
jail cell
vsjail
43 1.5

A small room in a prison where guards keep prisoners

names the whole building rather than this single internal room
jailhouse
vsjail
42 4.1

A building where police keep people who are waiting for trial or serving a sentence

is the general name for that same kind of building
lockup
vsjail
40 5.5

A small room in a police station where police keep people temporarily

is the broader name for buildings used for punishment or waiting trial
detention centre
vsjail
  • UK
36 4.6

A place where people are kept for a short time, like prisoners or migrants, while their case is decided

is the general term focused on criminal punishment or awaiting trial
holding cell
vsjail
33 4.1

A secure room in a police station where people wait briefly before going to court

is the overall name for a building used to hold people
slammer
vsjail
  • Slang
32 9.8

A prison or jail where people are kept after arrest

is the neutral term used for the same act of confinement
prison cell
vsjail
29 2.7

A small locked room in jail for holding a person

refers to the whole facility rather than this individual enclosed room
state prison
vsjail
  • US
27 4.3

A prison run by a state government for people found guilty of serious crimes

is a general term that covers local and state custody places
pokey
vsjail
  • Slang
19 9.9

A small jail where people wait for trial or serve short sentences

is the neutral term used for such local detention buildings
correctional facility
vsjail
  • Formal
10 4.2

A building like a prison where people are kept as punishment and given training

focuses on holding people as punishment or while awaiting trial
clink
vsjail
  • Informal
6 8.6

A prison or jail where people are kept by the police

is the standard term used without informal tone
2 4.4

A large room in a jail or police station where officers keep several people for a short time

is the general building term rather than a shared holding area
gaol
vsjail
  • Archaic
2 8.9

A building that holds people as punishment for a crime

is the common nonregional spelling for that same place
correctional institution
vsjail
  • Formal
2 4.9

A place where people who broke the law are kept as punishment or while they wait for trial

is a broader everyday term for holding people in custody
poky
vsjail
  • Slang
1 9.9

A small, dirty local jail

is the general neutral name without negative tone
penal institution
vsjail
  • Formal
1 6.3

A place like a prison where people are kept as punishment for crimes

is the same kind of place but with less emphasis on protection
prison house
vsjail
1 4.6

A building where people are held as punishment or while waiting for trial

is the general term for the same building without that formal label
penal facility
vsjail
  • Formal
1 6.0

A building that holds people as punishment for crimes to protect the public

is the same type of place but without institutional wording
penitentiary
vsjail
  • US
1 8.2

About the punishment or reform of people in prison

is the plain name for a place used for punishment or custody

Antonyms

1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

Compounds

43 1.5

A small room in a prison where guards keep prisoners

11 5.6

A chance to avoid punishment or trouble

9.9

A joking name for a mental health hospital ward where people wear non-slip socks

horny jail
  • NSFW
9.9

A playful joke punishment for someone who acts flirty online

9.9

People use force to free prisoners from jail

How Secure

supermax
  • Specialized
12 7.9
prison
1.0
jail
1.0
lockup
40 5.5
holding cell
33 4.1

Surface Forms

jail singular
jails plural

Etymology

Jail comes from an old French word jaiole that meant 'cage', so a jail is like a cage that holds people as a punishment or while they wait for trial.