Penitentiary vs Asylum - What's the difference?
penitentiary | asylum |
(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.
(obsolete) One who does penance.
(obsolete) A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
(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.
Of or relating to penance; penitential.
* Archbishop Bramhall:
Of or relating to the punishment of criminals.
* Blackstone:
A place of safety.
The protection, physical and legal, afforded by such a place.
A place of protection or restraint for one or more classes of the disadvantaged, especially the mentally ill.
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As nouns the difference between penitentiary and asylum
is that penitentiary is (us) a state or federal prison for convicted felons while asylum is a place of safety.As an adjective penitentiary
is of or relating to penance; penitential.penitentiary
English
Noun
(penitentiaries)- (Francis Bacon)
- (Hammond)
- (Shipley)
Synonyms
* (prison) penExternal links
*Adjective
(-)- A penitentiary tax.
- Penitentiary houses.
Coordinate terms
* carceralasylum
English
Noun
(en noun)Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum , it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner.
