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

Juan Carlos Garcia has been booked into the Williamson County Jail with a $2 million bond, according to jail records. —Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

Also, jail doesn’t mean that the taxes are forgiven. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 20 Dec. 2024

Verb

Before the campaign season even began, Maduro’s government had jailed more than 15,000 politicians, protesters, activists, and journalists, subjecting an unknown number to torture. —Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2024

The president-elect has previously claimed that House Jan. 6 select committee members should be jailed. —Avery Lotz, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024

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

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