brig

noun

Definition of brignext
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody the captain ordered that the prisoner be thrown into the brig immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brig It’s believed the 124-foot ship is a schooner or brig built in the mid-19th century, with its hull sheathed in copper. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 20 June 2024 The few sailors who were responding to Brooks’ commands climbed aloft to square the yards so that the brig could run toward land. — Eric Jay Dolin, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024 Abandoning all sense of order or control, a few of the sailors careened through the brig, demanding liquor from the frightened passengers. — Eric Jay Dolin, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024 On the defense’s side: Lieutenant Barney Greenwald (Jason Clarke), who’s claiming that Maryk shouldn’t be thrown in the brig because the man at the helm of the ship had lost his marbles, and thus was endangering the lives of the entire crew. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for brig
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brig
  1. jail
  2. prison
  3. penitentiary
Noun
  • Wedding served a four-year jail sentence after agreeing to forfeit more than $121,000 seized during an airport sting and agreeing to drop an appeal of his conviction.
    — Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Both suspects were arrested and booked into main jail.
    — Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of jail
Noun
  • The two were later tried separately, with Lori being sentenced to life in prison without parole and Chad, who was part of a doomsday cult, sentenced to death, also for the murder of Lori's two kids and his first wife.
    — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025
  • In prison, McTiernan interviewed many of his fellow inmates to gather their stories and testimonies.
    — Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of prison
Noun
  • The complaints at Lee mirror accounts from what was then a federal penitentiary, USP Thomson in Illinois, especially the overuse of four-point restraints.
    — Christie Thompson, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Lamberth also noted that there are only about 16 transgender women housed in female penitentiaries, including the three plaintiffs who sued.
    — Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Definition of penitentiary

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Cite this Entry

“Brig.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brig. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brig

Nglish: Translation of brig for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brig

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