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
Synonyms
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
Dell Cameron Andrew Couts, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024
The measure, known as SB4, would empower Texas officials to arrest and jail migrants on misdemeanor or felony charges if they are suspected of crossing in the U.S. without authorization and to order them to return to Mexico.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
What is the penalty for using a fake ID in Arizona?
People under 21 who buy alcohol or use a false ID can be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, be sentenced to jail and lose driving privileges.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Jose Fabrizio Sanchez Vazquez faces two felony charges, including lewd conduct with a child under 16, according to online jail and court records.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
Mahmoud tells him about the massacre that took place in the summer of 1996 when more than 1,200 inmates were rounded up and shot dead inside the jail compound.
—Hazlitt, 3 Apr. 2024
Last year, Sheriff’s Department officials said that out of 45 jail inmate deaths, 12 were drug-related — more than twice as many as a decade earlier when the jail population was much larger.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Surveillance footage from just outside the jail entrance showed a handcuffed Holloway appearing to make a move toward officer Mitchell Miller, who then shoved Holloway.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2024
For years, the Conservatives cut prison funding and staffing while encouraging longer jail times.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
He has been jailed since November 2023, when jurors convicted him of seven counts, including obstruction of the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that certified Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
Roughly 1% of the country’s population is estimated to have been jailed.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
The precise number of Americans jailed in Russia is unclear, but the cases of Gershkovich and Whelan have received the most attention.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors asked during his first court appearance Thursday that he be held without bail and a judge ruled that he be jailed at least until his next appearance Tuesday.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
He has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center facility in Brooklyn ever since, with his bail having been revoked over witness-tampering allegations.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Galeana, 21, remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $1 million bail.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
Timothy Carter jailed without bond in Walmart employee's killing
Carter remained jailed without bond Monday morning, Winnebago County Sheriff's Office online records show.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
The real Woods ultimately spent 428 days in jail and 147 days in a mental hospital before his release.
—Dell Cameron Andrew Couts, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024
The measure, known as SB4, would empower Texas officials to arrest and jail migrants on misdemeanor or felony charges if they are suspected of crossing in the U.S. without authorization and to order them to return to Mexico.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
What is the penalty for using a fake ID in Arizona?
People under 21 who buy alcohol or use a false ID can be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, be sentenced to jail and lose driving privileges.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Jose Fabrizio Sanchez Vazquez faces two felony charges, including lewd conduct with a child under 16, according to online jail and court records.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2024
Mahmoud tells him about the massacre that took place in the summer of 1996 when more than 1,200 inmates were rounded up and shot dead inside the jail compound.
—Hazlitt, 3 Apr. 2024
Last year, Sheriff’s Department officials said that out of 45 jail inmate deaths, 12 were drug-related — more than twice as many as a decade earlier when the jail population was much larger.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Surveillance footage from just outside the jail entrance showed a handcuffed Holloway appearing to make a move toward officer Mitchell Miller, who then shoved Holloway.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2024
For years, the Conservatives cut prison funding and staffing while encouraging longer jail times.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
On Thursday, court records showed, Adams remained jailed in Alabama awaiting arraignment on the charges.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
He has been jailed since November 2023, when jurors convicted him of seven counts, including obstruction of the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that certified Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024
Roughly 1% of the country’s population is estimated to have been jailed.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
The precise number of Americans jailed in Russia is unclear, but the cases of Gershkovich and Whelan have received the most attention.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 30 Mar. 2024
Prosecutors asked during his first court appearance Thursday that he be held without bail and a judge ruled that he be jailed at least until his next appearance Tuesday.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
He has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center facility in Brooklyn ever since, with his bail having been revoked over witness-tampering allegations.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Galeana, 21, remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $1 million bail.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024
Timothy Carter jailed without bond in Walmart employee's killing
Carter remained jailed without bond Monday morning, Winnebago County Sheriff's Office online records show.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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