jail

[ jeyl ]

noun

1. a prison, especially one for the detention of persons awaiting trial or convicted of minor offenses.

verb (used with object)

1. to take into or hold in lawful custody; imprison.

jail

/ dʒeɪl /

noun

1. a place for the confinement of persons convicted and sentenced to imprisonment or of persons awaiting trial to whom bail is not granted
2. get out of jail or get out of jail free informal.
   to get out of a difficult situation

verb

1. tr to confine in prison

Derived Forms

• ˈjailless, adjective
• ˈjail-like, adjective

Other Words From

• jaila·ble adjective
• jailless adjective
• jaillike adjective
• non·jaila·ble adjective
• re·jail verb (used with object)
• un·jailed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of jail¹

1225–75; Middle English gaiole, jaiole, jaile < Old North French gaiole, Old French jaiole cage < Vulgar Latin *gaviola, variant of *caveola, diminutive of Latin cavea cage; -ole ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of jail¹

C13: from Old French jaiole cage, from Vulgar Latin caveola (unattested), from Latin cavea enclosure; see cage : the two spellings derive from the forms of the word that developed in two different areas of France, and the spelling gaol represents a pronunciation in use until the 17th century

Example Sentences

Another Islamist militant leader who destroyed ancient shrines in Timbuktu was sentenced to nine years in jail in 2016.

From BBC

Figures show there were 629 foreign nationals in Scotland's jails as of the beginning of October – about 7.6% of the prison population.

From BBC

And last month, a woman was jailed for five years after lying about her experience and qualifications to get a job as a senior nurse in a unit for sick and premature babies.

From BBC

Members of the Palestinian militant group Black September had taken 11 Israeli athletes hostage, demanding the release of hundreds of prisoners held in their country’s jails.

From Los Angeles Times

At the same time, two affordable housing projects have stalled, incensing advocates who say the government is leaving homeless people with few options other than leaving town or jail time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• confine
• detain
• hold
• imprison
• lock up
• sentence
• take away

More About Jail

What is a basic definition of jail?

A jail is a building that houses prisoners and people accused of crimes, especially minor crimes. Jail also means to imprison for committing a crime or to lawfully detain a person.

A jail is a building where criminals or people accused of crimes are housed. Jails are usually small buildings that keep prisoners only until they go to trial or for criminals with short punishments. Typically, a prisoner only spends around 90 days in a jail. A person accused of a more serious crime may be kept in a jail until their trial or until they are transferred to a larger facility. The phrase “in jail” often means a person is spending time in a jail. A person who manages a jail or puts a person in a jail is called a jailer.

• Real-life examples: In the United States, jails are usually managed at the local level, such as by a town or county. A person who commits a minor offense such as being drunk in public or trespassing may be sentenced to spend time in a county jail.
• Used in a sentence: After a wild night, the partygoers woke up the next morning in the city jail.

As a verb, jail means to imprison a person for a crime as allowed under the law. This sense specifically refers to legal imprisonment, usually by police officers, rather than by kidnapping or abduction.

• Real-life examples: If a person is arrested by police, they are usually jailed until they are taken to trial. Depending on the judge’s ruling, they may be jailed again as punishment for a crime.
• Used in a sentence: The police quickly jailed the men who were caught trying to steal a car.

Jail can easily be confused for prison, and the two are often used interchangeably when referring to lawful imprisonment in general.

In the United States, a prison is managed by a state or the federal government and typically holds prisoners convicted of serious crimes who have very long sentences. Prisons are larger, usually better funded, and have much tighter security than jails. Prison can also be used more generally to refer to any place a person is confined, like a basement or in your own head. Jail is specifically a place for prisoners or people accused of crimes.

Gaol is a variant spelling of jail used mostly in British English.

Where does jail come from?

The first records of jail come from the 1200s. It ultimately comes from the Vulgar Latin caveola, from the Latin cavea, meaning “cage” or “enclosure.”

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to jail?

• gaol (alternative spelling)
• jailable (adjective)
• jailless (adjective)
• jaillike (adjective)
• nonjailable (adjective)

What are some synonyms for jail?

• cell
• lockup
• prison
• imprison 
• confine
• detain

What are some words that share a root or word element with jail?

• cage
• cave
• jailer
• jailbreak
• jailbird

What are some words that often get used in discussing jail?

• cell
• time
• local
• county
• city
• get out of jail free

What are some words jail may be commonly confused with?

• prison

How is jail used in real life?

Jail commonly refers to a place that police keep prisoners or people awaiting trial.

The true definition of embarrassment is when you work at a jail and have 3 of your family members arrested in the same week 😅

— Jo (@jlhorton7897) November 20, 2020

NEW: Ghislaine Maxwell to offer $28.5 million bond in effort to get out of jail. https://t.co/ZXEBXb8Hfb

— ABC News (@ABC) December 11, 2020

Try using jail!

True or False?

A jail is a building that houses people who are lawfully imprisoned.