prison

prison — noun

1. A building with guards where people who have broken the law are sent to live as

1.名詞B1
釋義

A building with guards where people who have broken the law are sent to live as punishment.

例句

Takeshi was sent to prison for stealing money from the bank where he worked.

uncountable: 'to prison' without article for confinement

The old prison on the hill held more than eight hundred inmates in the 1990s.

countable: 'the prison' referring to a specific building

同義詞
  • jail

    often smaller, used for short-term holding or waiting for trial

  • penitentiary

    formal American term, usually for long-term, serious offenders

  • correctional facility

    formal or official term, focused on the reform aspect

反義詞
  • freedom

    the state of not being confined

文法句型

usually preceded by 'in' or 'to' without article when referring to confinement

用法筆記

When referring to the status of being a prisoner, 'prison' usually appears without an article: 'send to prison,' 'in prison,' 'released from prison.' When referring to a specific building or type of building, an article is used: 'the prison on Main Street,' 'a maximum-security prison.'

常見錯誤

❌He was sent to the prison for five years.
✅He was sent to prison for five years.
💡When talking about being imprisoned as a punishment, 'prison' is uncountable and no article is needed.
❌She works at prison.
✅She works at a prison.
💡When referring to the workplace building, use an article.

2. The whole system of laws, courts, and institutions that society uses to punish p

2.名詞B2
釋義

The whole system of laws, courts, and institutions that society uses to punish people who commit crimes by keeping them locked up.

例句

Voters in Ohio want the local government to spend less on prison and more on building schools.

uncountable abstract use: 'spend less on prison'

The justice minister announced new plans to reform the prison system and offer job training to young inmates.

同義詞
反義詞
  • rehabilitation

    the alternative approach focused on reform rather than punishment

  • probation

    a penalty that allows someone to stay in the community under supervision

用法筆記

This sense is always uncountable and refers to the abstract institution. It cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. Common in phrases like 'prison reform,' 'prison system,' 'alternatives to prison.'

常見錯誤

❌The prison reform has many supporters.
✅Prison reform has many supporters.
💡When talking about the institution as a system, 'prison' is uncountable and does not take 'the.'

3. A situation or way of living that feels like being locked up because you cannot

3.名詞C1
釋義

A situation or way of living that feels like being locked up because you cannot easily leave it or change it.

例句

Paloma felt trapped in the prison of her unhappy marriage for years before leaving.

countable with 'of': 'the prison of [situation]'

For the young painter, the coastal village was a prison of strict family rules and gossipy neighbors.

同義詞
  • trap

    a more direct word for a difficult situation you cannot escape

  • cage

    suggests a situation that restricts freedom more physically

  • confinement

    more neutral; being restricted in movement or choice

反義詞
  • freedom

    the ability to do what you want and go where you want

  • liberation

    the act of escaping a trapped state

文法句型

usually followed by 'of' or a relative clause

用法筆記

This is a figurative, metaphorical sense. It is always countable and usually appears with 'a' or 'the,' often followed by 'of' to specify the situation. Common in literary or emotional contexts.

常見錯誤

❌She was in prison of fear.
✅She was in a prison of fear.
💡This figurative sense is countable, so an article is needed.

prison — verb