Other forms: prisons
A prison is the locked building where people convicted of crimes are kept. In prison, sent to prison, released from prison.
The article is the thing to learn. In prison, with no article, means serving a sentence there; in the prison means physically inside the building, perhaps as a visitor. English does the same with school, hospital and church, and the rule is the same: no article when you are there for its purpose. American English says jail interchangeably; British English distinguishes them, with a prison holding sentenced people and a police cell or remand centre holding those awaiting trial. Prisoner is the person, and imprison is the verb.
1nounprisonA building where convicted criminals are kept.
“The prison was built in 1840 and looks it.”
synonyms: jail, penitentiary
2nounstateThe state of being kept there.
“He spent four years in prison.”
3nounsituationAny situation you cannot escape from.
“The job had become a prison.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
prison is a place of confinement.
Also accepted in games: jail
Latin prehensionem meant a seizing, from prehendere, to grasp — the same verb behind comprehend, apprehend and prey. A prison is named for the act of catching somebody, not for the building that holds them afterwards.
Proto-Indo-European
*gʰed-
Latin
prehensiōnem
Old French
prison
Old English
prisūn
Middle English
prisoun
English, today
prison
From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. a doublet of prehension.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA