pen|i|ten|tia|ry

pen|i|ten|tia|ry
pen|i|ten|tia|ry «PEHN uh TEHN shuhr ee», noun, plural -ries, adjective.
–n.
1. a prison for criminals, especially a state or federal prison: »

He had worked as a $600-a-month assistant warden at the Huntsville, Texas, state penitentiary, until a convict spotted his picture in an old crime stories magazine (Newsweek).

2. in the Roman Catholic Church: a) a diocesan officer empowered to rule on cases of conscience beyond the scope of the parish priest. b) a congregation of the Papal Curia, presided over by a cardinal, that decides questions of penance.
–adj.
1. making one liable to punishment in a prison: »

a penitentiary offense.

2. used for punishment, discipline, and reformation: »

penitentiary measures.

3. of penance; penitential.
╂[(definition 1) < Medieval Latin poenitentiaria; (definition 2) < Medieval Latin poenitentiarius, both noun uses of adjective < Latin paenitentia penitence]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • pen·i·ten·tia·ry — /ˌpɛnəˈtɛnʃəri/ noun, pl ries [count] US : ↑prison often used in the names of prisons Colorado State Penitentiary synonyms see ↑jail, 1 …   Useful english dictionary

  • pen — pen·al·ty; pen·ance; pen·cil; pen·dant; pen·dent; pen·den·tive; pen·du·line; pen·e·trant; pen·i·tent; pen·i·ten·tial; pen·i·ten·tia·ry; pen·man; pen·nat·u·lar·i·an; pen·ner; pen·sion; pen·sion·ary; pen·ste·mon; pen·ta·gon; pen·tam·e·ter;… …   English syllables

  • ten — af·ten; aglis·ten; an·ten·nal; an·ten·nar·ia; an·ten·na·ri·i·dae; an·ten·na·ry; an·ten·na·ta; an·ten·nate; an·ten·ni·fer; an·ten·ni·form; an·ten·nu·la; an·ten·nu·lar; an·ten·nule; ap·pe·ten·cy; ar·ten·kreis; as·tro·pec·ten; at·ten·si·ty;… …   English syllables

  • tia — ac·o·ni·tia; ac·ti·nis·tia; ad·ven·ti·tia; ae·gyp·tia·nel·lo·sis; aer·odon·tia; aga·lac·tia; aglyph·o·don·tia; al·sa·tia; amas·tia; amen·tia; an·o·don·tia; ap·lo·don·tia; ar·chis·tia; ar·chon·tia; as·tran·tia; au·brie·tia; au·di·ber·tia;… …   English syllables

  • penitentiary — pen·i·ten·tia·ry …   English syllables

  • penitentiary — pen|i|ten|tia|ry [ˌpenıˈtenʃəri] n plural penitentiaries AmE a prison used especially in the names of prisons ▪ the North Carolina state penitentiary …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • penitentiary — pen|i|ten|tia|ry [ ,penı tenʃəri ] noun count AMERICAN a prison for people who have committed serious crimes: a state/federal penitentiary …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • penitentiary — pen•i•ten•tia•ry [[t]ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃə ri[/t]] n. pl. ries, adj. 1) a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, esp., in the U.S., a state or federal institution for serious offenders 2) rel a tribunal in the Curia Romana,… …   From formal English to slang

  • ry — ry; ry·al; ry·a·nia; ry·an·o·dine; ry·der; ry·o·bu; ry·ot; ry·pe; sac·rifi·ca·to·ry; sal·ta·to·ry; san·a·to·ry; sat·is·fac·to·ry; sau·ry; sav·age·ry; sce·na·ry; scrip·to·ry; sculp·ti·to·ry; se·cre·to·ry; sen·sa·to·ry; sep·a·ra·to·ry;… …   English syllables

  • penitentiary — pen·i·ten·tia·ry /ˌpe nə ten chə rē/ n pl ries: a state or federal prison for the punishment and reformation of convicted felons compare house of correction, house of detention, jail …   Law dictionary

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