penitentiary

---

Pronunciation

• enPR: pĕn'·ĭ·tĕnʹ·shə·rē, IPA: /ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəɹi/

Noun

penitentiary (plural penitentiaries)

1. (chiefly, US) A state or federal prison for convicted felons; (broadly) a prison.
2. A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.
3. (obsolete) One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     Upon the loss of Urbin, the duke's undoubted right, no penitentiary, though he had enjoined him never so straight pennance to expiate his first offence, would have counselled him to have given over pursuit of his right, which he prosperously re-obtained.

4. (obsolete) One who does penance.

   • To maintain a painful fight against the law of sin, is the work of the penitentiary.

5. (obsolete) A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
6. (obsolete) An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc.; run by a cardinal called the Grand Penitentiary who is appointed by the pope.
7. (obsolete) An officer in some dioceses since 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.

Synonyms

• (prison) pen

Related terms

• pen
• penitence

Translations

• French: pénitencier
• German: Gefängnis
• Italian: penitenziario
• Portuguese: penitenciária
• Russian: пенитенциарий
• Spanish: penitenciaría

Adjective

penitentiary (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to penance; penitential.

   • A penitentiary tax.

2. Of or relating to the punishment of criminals.

   • Penitentiary houses.

Translations

• Russian: пенитенциарный

---

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.004