jail

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Tekashi is expected to plead guilty on November 12 to violating supervised release and agree to serve a one-month jail sentence, and another year of supervision, according to the Associated Press. Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 Audio clips from Wolff’s August 2017 interview with Epstein — two years before he was found dead in a jail cell — can be found at the Daily Beast’s website. Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
They had both been jailed since May 2022, with Thug earring his freedom under a plea deal on Oct. 31. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 Saied has jailed many other activists and opponents. Sarah E. Yerkes, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jail 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of jail was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near jail

Cite this Entry

“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

jail

noun
ˈjā(ə)l
: prison
jail verb

Legal Definition

jail

noun
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on jail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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