penitentiary

[pen-i-ten-shuh-ree] /ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃə ri/
noun, plural penitentiaries.
1.
a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, especially a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
2.
Roman Catholic Church. a tribunal in the Curia Romana, presided over by a cardinal (grand penitentiary) having jurisdiction over certain matters, as penance, confession, dispensation, absolution, and impediments, and dealing with questions of conscience reserved for the Holy See.
adjective
3.
(of an offense) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary.
4.
of, pertaining to, or intended for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment.
5.
penitential.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English penitenciarie priest who administers penance, prison < Medieval Latin pēnitēntiārius of penance. See penitence, -ary
Examples from the web for penitentiary
  • And there are those who would put me in the penitentiary for saying so.
  • The largest building project of its day, the penitentiary drew thousands of visitors, many from abroad.
British Dictionary definitions for penitentiary

penitentiary

/ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃərɪ/
noun (pl) -ries
1.
(in the US and Canada) a state or federal prison: in Canada, esp a federal prison for offenders convicted of serious crimes Sometimes shortened to pen
2.
(RC Church)
  1. a cleric appointed to supervise the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular area
  2. a priest who has special faculties to absolve particularly grave sins
  3. a cardinal who presides over a tribunal that decides all matters affecting the sacrament of penance
  4. this tribunal itself
adjective
3.
another word for penitential (sense 1)
4.
(US & Canadian) (of an offence) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary
Word Origin
C15 (meaning also: an officer dealing with penances): from Medieval Latin poenitēntiārius, from Latin paenitēnspenitent
Word Origin and History for penitentiary
n.

early 15c., "place of punishment for offenses against the church," from Medieval Latin penitentiaria, from fem. of penitentiarius (adj.) "of penance," from Latin paenitentia "penitence" (see penitence). Meaning "house of correction" (originally an asylum for prostitutes) is from 1806, short for penitentiary house (1776). Slang shortening pen is attested from 1884.