Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
prison chaplain

prison chaplain

1 6.5
A religious leader who works in a prison and gives religious help to prisoners
  • noun
  • /ˈprɪzən ˈʧæplɪn/
translation icon : capellán de prisión
  • The prison chaplain said, "I've brought Reverend Brown from one of the city churches to give you a few words of consolation."
  • serves as a prison chaplain

Examples

  • Will we have military or prison chaplains?

    Academic text (2010)

  • Why did the man hear the words of a prison chaplain?

    Fiction book (1999)

  • By the prison chaplain, no doubt?

    Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

  • The prison chaplain stood at his side.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Attention prisoners, the church service will be held in the prison chaplain's room in five minutes.

    Rise (2014)

  • I've been a prison chaplain for the small Jewish population in New York state prisons, mostly Russians and Israelis.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • According to the pamphlet reports, the prison chaplain begins earnestly encouraging Elizabeth Stile to examine her soul and clear her Christian conscience.

    Blog text (7)

  • The only sense lacking was hearing, and just then he heard, and it was like a memory, because what he again heard were the words of the prison chaplain—hopeful and consoling words by themselves, even very beautiful—but what a pity, they had that certain air of being used, said too many times, stale from having been said again and again.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The prison chaplain offers counseling and support to inmates seeking spiritual guidance.

  • During the holiday season, the prison chaplain organizes special services for the inmates.

Synonyms

chaplain
vsprison chaplain
96 7.2

A religious person who leads services and gives support at schools, hospitals, or in the army

serves people confined in correctional facilities rather than broader institutions

Surface Forms

prison chaplain singular
prison chaplains plural

Morphology

prison + chaplain

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'prison' (an institution housing inmates) with 'chaplain' (a clergy member who provides religious services); the first noun clearly modifies the second to indicate workplace/role. This noun+noun compositional pattern is common and predictable cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Prison chaplain comes from the simple picture of a chaplain, a religious person, entering a prison to 'lead services' and 'help' prisoners. That's why it means 'a religious person who gives services and support to inmates'.