Jail: meaning, definitions and examples

Jail is typically used to refer to a place where people are held while they are awaiting trial or serving short sentences. It is usually managed by local authorities.

• He was taken to jail for the night after the arrest
• The suspect is currently in jail awaiting his trial

Used in everyday conversation to refer to a place where people are held while they await trial or serve short sentences.

• He was sentenced to six months in jail.
• She spent a night in jail for drunken behavior.

Often used in formal contexts to describe the action of confining someone in prison for a longer period as punishment after being found guilty of a crime.

• He was imprisoned for ten years for his crimes.
• The activist was imprisoned for her protests.

Used in formal and legal contexts, often implying a longer term of confinement in a correctional facility.

• The government seeks to incarcerate those involved in the scandal.
• Many non-violent offenders are incarcerated due to strict laws.

Typically used in a legal or formal context to describe the act of keeping someone in custody without necessarily implying punishment.

• The police will detain you for questioning.
• They were detained at the airport for hours.