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Incarceration vs Penitentiary - What's the difference?

incarceration | penitentiary |

As nouns the difference between incarceration and penitentiary

is that incarceration is the act of confining, or the state of being confined; imprisonment while penitentiary is a state or federal prison for convicted felons.

As an adjective penitentiary is

of or relating to penance; penitential.

incarceration

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act of confining, or the state of being confined; imprisonment.
  • Formerly, strangulation, as in hernia.
  • A constriction of the hernial sac, rendering it irreducible, but not great enough to cause strangulation.
  • penitentiary

    English

    Noun

    (penitentiaries)
  • (US) A state or federal prison for convicted felons.
  • A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.
  • (obsolete) One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
  • (Francis Bacon)
  • (obsolete) One who does penance.
  • (Hammond)
  • (obsolete) A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
  • (Shipley)
  • (obsolete) An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc.; run by a cardinal called the Grand Penitentiary who is appointed by the pope.
  • (obsolete) An officer in some dioceses since 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
  • Synonyms

    * (prison) pen

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of or relating to penance; penitential.
  • * Archbishop Bramhall:
  • A penitentiary tax.
  • Of or relating to the punishment of criminals.
  • * Blackstone:
  • Penitentiary houses.

    Coordinate terms

    * carceral