# prison

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɪzn̩/ · frequency rank #1,670

## Definitions
1. A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government.
2. Confinement in prison.
3. Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.

## Etymology
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. Doublet of prehension.

## Easily confused with
- **proton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prison-vs-proton)
- **prisons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prison-vs-prisons)
- **prisoner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prison-vs-prisoner)
- **prior** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prior-vs-prison)
- **prism** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prism-vs-prison)
- **primo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primo-vs-prison)
- **person** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/person-vs-prison)
- **poison** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-prison)
- **piston** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piston-vs-prison)
- **parson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/parson-vs-prison)
- **Preston** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/preston-vs-prison)
- **Poisson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poisson-vs-prison)

## Common misspellings (9)
`pirson`, `pprison`, `priosn`, `prisno`, `prisonn`, `prisson`, `prrison`, `prsion`, `rpison`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prison