Background for penitentiary
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penitentiary

/ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəɹi/

Meanings
noun
A state or federal prison for convicted felons; (broadly) a prison.

Examples :

"He was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary for armed robbery. "
government law building state police society
noun
An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc.; run by a cardinal called the Grand Penitentiary who is appointed by the pope.

Examples :

"Given the context of a papal court office, using everyday topics would be misleading. A simple, contextually accurate sentence is: "The Catholic bishop sought clarification from the Penitentiary regarding the absolution of a complex vow." "
religion government theology

Related Words

Illustration contextually

contextually adverb

/kənˈtɛkstʃuəli/ /kənˈtɛkstʃəli/

In a contextual manner; with reference to context

"The student contextually analyzed the poem, considering the author's life and the historical period it was written in. "

Illustration penitential

penitential noun

/ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəl/ /ˌpɛnəˈtɛnʃəl/

A book or set of rules pertaining to the Christian sacrament of penance

"The historian consulted the ancient penitential to understand the early church's practices of confession and absolution. "

Illustration accidentally

accidentally adverb

/ˌæksəˈdɛnt(ə)li/

In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.

"He discovered penicillin largely accidentally."

Illustration confessions

confessions noun

/kənˈfɛʃənz/

The open admittance of having done something (especially something bad).

"After the cookies disappeared, there were tearful confessions from the children about who ate them. "

Illustration clarification

clarification noun

/ˌklæɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

The act of clarifying; the act or process of making clear or transparent by freeing visible impurities; particularly, the clearing or fining of liquid substances from feculent matter by the separation of the insoluble particles which prevent the liquid from being transparent.

"The clarification of wine."

Illustration dispensations

dispensations noun

/dɪˌspɛnˈseɪʃənz/ /ˌdɪspɛnˈseɪʃənz/

The act of dispensing or dealing out; distribution; often used of the distribution of good and evil by God to man, or more generically, of the acts and modes of his administration.

"Despite the unexpected hardships, the family accepted the dispensations of life with grace and resilience. "

Illustration rehabilitation

rehabilitation noun

/ɹiːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/ /riːhəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/

The process of rehabilitating somebody or something.

"The rehabilitation program helped the injured athlete regain strength and return to playing sports. "

Illustration prescribes

prescribes verb

/prɪˈskraɪbz/

To order (a drug or medical device) for use by a particular patient (under licensed authority).

"The doctor prescribed aspirin."

Illustration administers

administers verb

/ədˈmɪnɪstərz/ /ædˈmɪnɪstərz/

To cause to ingest (a drug), either by openly offering or through deceit.

"We administered the medicine to our dog by mixing it in his food."

Illustration conscience

conscience noun

/kɒnʃəns/

The moral sense of right and wrong, chiefly as it affects one's own behaviour.

"Your conscience is your highest authority."

Illustration contrition

contrition noun

/kənˈtɹɪʃən/

The state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse.

"After losing her temper and shouting at her son, Sarah felt deep contrition. "

Illustration absolution

absolution noun

/æb.səˈljuː.ʃn̩/ /ˌæb.səˈl(j)u.ʃn̩/

An absolving of sins from ecclesiastical penalties by an authority.

"After confessing his wrongdoings to the priest, the man felt a sense of relief upon receiving absolution. "