Penitentiary

What do we mean by penitentiary?

A prison for those convicted of major crimes. noun

A tribunal of the Roman Curia having jurisdiction in matters relating to penance, dispensations, and papal absolutions. noun

A priest whose special function is the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular church or diocese. noun

Of or for the purpose of penance; penitential. adjective

Relating to or used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers. adjective

Resulting in or punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary. adjective

Liable to punishment by imprisonment of the offender in a penitentiary: said of an offense: as, a penitentiary offense.

A member of the Penitents, certain religious orders. See penitent, 2. noun

Relating to penance, or to the rules and measures of penance.

Expressive of contrition or penitence; penitential: as, a penitentiary letter.

A penitent; one who repents of sin or does penance for it. noun

A confessor; a person appointed to deal with penitents or penances. noun

In the Roman Catholic Church, one who prescribes the rules and degrees of penance; specifically, an officer vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases which the ordinary parish priest may be incompetent to determine. noun

In the papal court, an office in which are examined and from which are issued secret bulls, dispensations, etc., the tribunal in charge being termed the Tribunal of Penitentiaries. noun

A book for the guidance of confessors in imposing penances, etc., prescribing the rules and measures of penance. noun

A place for the performance of penance; a small building in monastic establishments in which a penitent confined himself. The term was also applied to that part of a church to which penitents were admitted during the service. noun

A prison in which convicts are confined for punishment and reformation, and compelled to labor; a house of correction; the place in which criminals condemned to penal servitude are confined. noun

One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance. noun

One who does penance. noun

A state or federal prison for convicted felons; (broadly) a prison.

A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.

One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.

One who does penance.

A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.

An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc.; run by a cardinal called the Grand Penitentiary who is appointed by the pope.

An officer in some dioceses since 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.

Words that are spelled similarly to penitentiary:
penitentiary, penitential, penitentially, sententiary, penitentials.

Words that are triggered by (strongly associated with) the word penitentiary:
usp, alcatraz, reformatory, inmate, correctional, inmates, walla, joliet, terre, warden, haute, convicts, prison, incarcerated, corrections, sunflower, parole, angola, confinement, incarceration, lansing, convict, sentence, apostolic, pardon, penal, riot, solitary, robbery, tucson, marion, correction, kingston, execution, convicted, prisoner, infamous, atlanta, florence, facility, jail, conviction, institution, sentences, cardinal, imprisonment, columbus, unincorporated, tribunal, escaped, asylum, kansas, pen, punishment, federal, housed, jefferson, imprisoned, maximum, mississippi, institutions, wyoming, guards, idaho, murder, row, executed, colorado, kentucky, escape, gang, louisiana, crimes, guilty, missouri, ukraine, transferred, appeals, security, illinois, oklahoma, pope, violent, crime, philadelphia, criminal, cell, charges, labor.

Words that rhyme with penitentiary:
century, turn of the century, adventure he, adventurer he, midcentury, venture he.

Adjectives that are often used to describe penitentiary:
federal, new, old, first, grand, papal, national, territorial, security, maximum, eastern, modern, american, female, local, western, provincial, former, notorious, southern, nearby, cardinal, infamous, vast, eternal, huge, famous, canadian, largest, episcopal, juvenile, northern, state, apostolic, walled, known, insular, apostolical, grim, nearest, century, siberian, puritan, mexican, distant, unclassified, midwestern, gloomy, worst, oldest, sub, managed, salisbury, overcrowded, regulated.

Nouns that are often described by the adjective penitentiary:
system, sentences, houses, house, inmates, reform, imprisonment, time, work, sentence, registers, discipline, records, colony, punishment, offenses, systems, material, officials, convicts, science, life, establishment, prisoners, terms, confinement, times, offense, colonies, wall, building, hospital, practice, grounds, detention, bonds, reformation, apron, commissioner, emergence, act, authorities, blues, ring, camp, facilities, commissioners, movement, rules, register, property, road, education, prayers, congress, reports, chances, canon, graveyard, hulks, question, town, presbyters, shot, idea, literature, acct, establishments, institutions, prison, bill, circles, offence, diet, regulations, walls, schools, institution, crimes, architecture.

Words that sound like penitentiary:
penitentiary, penitentiaries, penitential, penitency, penitente, penitently, penitence, plenipotentiary, penitents, penitent.