PENITENTIARY


Meaning of PENITENTIARY in English

/ ˌpenɪˈtenʃəri; NAmE / noun

( pl. -ies ) (also informal pen ) (both NAmE ) a prison

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English (as a term in ecclesiastical law): from medieval Latin paenitentiarius , from Latin paenitentia repentance. The current usage dates from the early 19th cent.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.