jail

1 of 2

noun

ˈjāl 

1

: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

specifically : such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (such as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare prison

2

: confinement in a jail

sentenced to jail

jail

2 of 2

verb

jailed; jailing; jails

transitive verb

: to confine in or as if in a jail

Synonyms

Noun

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• cooler
• coop
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• jug
• lockup
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

Verb

• commit
• confine
• immure
• imprison
• incarcerate
• intern
• jug
• lock (up)

Examples of jail in a Sentence

Noun

He was locked up in the county jail.

He was arrested and sent to jail.

He went to jail for his crimes.

He just got out of jail a few weeks ago.

He was kept in jail overnight.

Verb

threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Anyone who assaults or attacks an ICE or Border Agent will do hard time in jail. —Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

Ramos-Jimenez was then arrested and taken to a local jail for possessing a weapon as a felon, Fox 10 Phoenix reported. —Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 12 June 2025

Verb

In the film’s single best scene, when Roebuck first meets Howitzer while jailed for existing while homosexual, Wright pulls back that armor. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025

Federal prosecutors argued for Roberson to be jailed for two years, but a judge disagreed. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English jaiole, from Anglo-French gaiole, jaiole, from Late Latin caveola, diminutive of Latin cavea cage — more at cage

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing jail

• left to rot in jail/prison

Rhymes for jail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

jail

noun

ˈjā(ə)l

: prison

jail verb

Legal Definition

jail

noun

ˈjāl 

: a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody

specifically : such a place under the jurisdiction of a local government (as a county) for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or those convicted of minor crimes compare house of correction, house of detention, lockup, penitentiary, prison

jail transitive verb