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
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
arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Willie Frank Peterson, 52, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2023, and was sentenced to six years and three months in jail.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2025
Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Both men remained jailed on $100,000 bond Thursday at a Platte County detention facility.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
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Noun
Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.
—arkansasonline.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Willie Frank Peterson, 52, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2023, and was sentenced to six years and three months in jail.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
In related news, the mayor of San José proposed jailing homeless people who repeatedly refuse shelter.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Both men remained jailed on $100,000 bond Thursday at a Platte County detention facility.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jail. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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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