Words / B2

PRIZN/ˈprɪzn/

A prison is a place of punishment after a sentence: in prison; a prison overcrowding crisis. Jail is close (often shorter-term in US usage); custody is the legal state. The case study compared prison overcrowding. Mix-up: poison is a toxin. Do not write “the prison” for a police cell before trial unless the source does.

Meaning

A place where people are kept as punishment for a crime.

Examples

• “The sociology case study compared prison overcrowding across regions.”
• “He was released from prison on licence, which is the sentence sense.”

Good to know

in prison; a prison sentence / officer. Close: jail. Legal state: custody. Sociology and news. After sentence, not every detention.

Near in meaning

jail

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