prison
gb/pɹˈɪzən/ us/pɹˈɪzən/
A2
English
~ 1400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
building for criminals
A building where people stay as punishment after breaking the law.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is sent to prison
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'prison' with 'police station' — a police station is where police work, not where criminals serve sentences.
Synonyms
jail (Often used interchangeably, but 'jail' can also refer to short-term detention before trial or sentencing.)
Antonyms
freedom (Represents the state of not being imprisoned or detained.)
Collocations
go to prison
|serve time in prison
|release from prison
|prison sentence
|escape from prison
Themes
law
|crime
|justice
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He was sent to prison for ten years.
- The prison is located outside the city.
- Many prisons have programs to help inmates learn new skills.
- She visited her brother in prison last weekend.
Learner examples
- He is in prison for five years.
- The prison is big and old.
- My uncle works in a prison.
- She went to prison after the trial.
Noun
B1
state
2
state of confinement
A situation where someone cannot leave or do what they want.
Usage pattern:
feel like [someone] is in prison
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'prison' literally and fail to recognize its common figurative use for restrictive situations.
Synonyms
captivity (Emphasizes being held against one's will, often used for animals or people.)
Antonyms
liberty (Represents the ability to act freely without restriction.)
Collocations
mental prison
|prison of fear
|prison of routine
Themes
emotions
|restrictions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She felt like her job was a prison.
- His illness became a prison that kept him at home.
- The strict rules made the students feel they were in a prison.
Learner examples
- I feel like my home is a prison.
- His injury is like a prison for him.
- The rules are like a prison for us.
Grammar
Dictionary form
prison
IPA
GB/pɹˈɪzən/
US/pɹˈɪzən/
Syllables & stress
pris - on (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pris)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: prison
- Plural: prison, prisons
Word family
Forms
prisons
noun
Related words
imprisonment
noun B2
Expressions
break out of prison
1/bɹˈeɪk ˈaʊt əv pɹˈɪzən/
fixed phrase
forcefully escape from prison
To get out of prison by force or secretly without permission.
Examples
- They broke out of prison through a tunnel.
- Several prisoners broke out of prison during the riot.
escape from prison
1/ɪskˈeɪp fɹˈʌm pɹˈɪzən/
fixed phrase
get out of prison illegally
To leave prison without permission, usually secretly or by force.
Examples
- Two inmates escaped from prison last night.
- He planned to escape from prison but was caught.
go to prison
1/ɡˈoʊ tə pɹˈɪzən/
fixed phrase
be sent to prison
To be taken by law to live in a prison as punishment.
Examples
- He went to prison for robbery.
- If you commit that crime, you could go to prison.
prison sentence
1/pɹˈɪzən sˈɛntəns/
fixed phrase
time ordered in prison
The length of time that someone must stay in prison, decided by a judge.
Examples
- He received a ten-year prison sentence.
- The judge handed down a long prison sentence.
serve time in prison
1/sˈɚv tˈaɪm ˈɪn pɹˈɪzən/
fixed phrase
spend time in prison
To stay in prison for a set amount of time as punishment.
Examples
- He served five years in prison before being released.
- She is currently serving time in prison for fraud.