penitentiary

One entry found for penitentiary.

Main Entry: ¹pen·i·ten·tia·ry
Pronunciation: "pe-n&-'ten(t)-sh(&-)rE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ries
Etymology: Middle English penitenciary, from Medieval Latin poenitentiarius, from poenitentia
1 a : an officer in some Roman Catholic dioceses vested with power from the bishop to deal with cases of a nature normally handled only by the bishop b capitalized : a cardinal presiding over a tribunal of the Roman curia concerned with dispensations and indulgences
2 : a public institution in which offenders against the law are confined for detention or punishment; specifically : a state or federal prison in the United States