jail

[jeyl] / dʒeɪl /

NOUN

place for incarceration

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cell lockup penitentiary prison

STRONG

bastille brig bullpen can clink cooler dungeon inside jailhouse joint pen pound rack reformatory slammer solitary stir stockade

WEAK

black hole detention camp house of correction penal institution up the river

VERB

incarcerate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confine detain hold imprison lock up sentence take away

STRONG

bastille book cage can constrain immure impound prison railroad

WEAK

put away put behind bars put on ice send up throw away the keys throw in dungeon throw the book at

Antonyms

STRONGEST

free let go liberate release

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Prosecutors want Abalos to serve 24 years in jail.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Thoreau spent a night in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax, objecting to slavery and the Mexican War.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Eventually, that reality caught up to county prosecutors, who released Gonzalez after she spent two days in jail.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Because Mauldin himself was a soldier, Patton could have him court-martialed and put in jail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Going to school would be like being in jail!

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis