penitentiary
nounfeminine/pɨ.ni.tẽ.si.a.ɾi.ɐ/medium
pe·ni·ten·ci·á·ri·a
Definition
A prison for serious offenders, especially one for long-term confinement.
He was sentenced to life in a federal penitentiary.
The state penitentiary is overcrowded.
Common collocations
federal penitentiarystate penitentiarymaximum-security penitentiary
Etymology
Do latim 'paenitentiaria'.