penitentiary

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A prison for those convicted of major crimes.
2. n. Roman Catholic Church A tribunal of the Roman Curia having jurisdiction in matters relating to penance, dispensations, and papal absolutions.
3. n. Roman Catholic Church A priest whose special function is the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular church or diocese.
4. adj. Of or for the purpose of penance; penitential.
5. adj. Relating to or used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers.
6. adj. Resulting in or punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary: a penitentiary offense.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Relating to penance, or to the rules and measures of penance.
2. Expressive of contrition or penitence; penitential: as, a penitentiary letter.
3. n. A penitent; one who repents of sin or does penance for it.
4. n. A confessor; a person appointed to deal with penitents or penances. In particular — In the early Christian Ch., an officer appointed to confer with all penitents and to decide on their admission to public penance, or, where necessary, to prescribe private penances.
5. n. In the Roman Catholic Church, one who prescribes the rules and degrees of penance; specifically, an officer vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases which the ordinary parish priest may be incompetent to determine.
6. n. In the papal court, an office in which are examined and from which are issued secret bulls, dispensations, etc., the tribunal in charge being termed the Tribunal of Penitentiaries.
7. n. A book for the guidance of confessors in imposing penances, etc., prescribing the rules and measures of penance.
8. n. A place for the performance of penance; a small building in monastic establishments in which a penitent confined himself. The term was also applied to that part of a church to which penitents were admitted during the service.
9. n. A prison in which convicts are confined for punishment and reformation, and compelled to labor; a house of correction; the place in which criminals condemned to penal servitude are confined.
10. Liable to punishment by imprisonment of the offender in a penitentiary: said of an offense: as, a penitentiary offense.
11. n. A member of the Penitents, certain religious orders. See penitent, 2.

Wiktionary

1. n. US A state or federal prison for convicted felons.
2. n. Roman Catholic Church A priest who administers the sacrament of penance.
3. n. obsolete One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
4. n. obsolete One who does penance.
5. n. obsolete A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
6. n. obsolete 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, appointed by the pope.
7. n. obsolete An officer in some dioceses since 1215 A.D., vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
8. adj. of or relating to penance; penitential
9. adj. of or relating to the punishment of criminals

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Relating to penance, or to the rules and measures of penance.
2. adj. Expressive of penitence.
3. adj. Used for punishment, discipline, and reformation.
4. n. obsolete One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
5. n. obsolete One who does penance.
6. n. A small building in a monastery where penitents confessed.
7. n. That part of a church to which penitents were admitted.
8. n. An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc. Its chief is a cardinal, called the Grand Penitentiary, appointed by the pope.
9. n. An officer in some dioceses since A. D. 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
10. n. A house of correction, in which offenders are confined for punishment, discipline, and reformation, and in which they are generally compelled to labor; a prison; a jail. Colloquially often shortened to pen.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. showing or constituting penance
2. adj. used for punishment or reform of criminals or wrongdoers
3. n. a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes