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
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
Dennis Romero, NBC news, 9 June 2026
The prescribed sentence under the plea terms will be 364 days in county jail.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
During their separation, he also was arrested and jailed in Costa Rica for attempting to board a flight with a firearm.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
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Noun
Victor Rivas, 40, sustained injuries to his arms and was treated at a hospital before he was booked into jail on allegations of driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and being a fugitive from adjacent Jefferson Parish, Louisiana State Police said.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 9 June 2026
The prescribed sentence under the plea terms will be 364 days in county jail.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Verb
Zabel and Bradshaw were both briefly jailed on June 8, while Enderle was given a citation.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
During their separation, he also was arrested and jailed in Costa Rica for attempting to board a flight with a firearm.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
jail
noun
: 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
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