grand penitentiary
noun
See under penitentiary(def 3).
Words nearby grand penitentiary
grand old man,
grand old party,
grand ole opry,
grand opera,
grand passion,
grand penitentiary,
grand piano,
grand prairie,
grand prix,
grand pré,
grand quarter
Definition for grand penitentiary (2 of 2)
penitentiary
[ pen-i-ten-shuh-ree ]
/ ˌpɛn ɪˈtɛn ʃə ri /
noun, plural pen·i·ten·tia·ries.
a place for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment, especially a prison maintained in the U.S. by a state or the federal government for serious offenders.
Roman Catholic Church.
a tribunal in the Curia Romana, presided over by a cardinal (grand penitentiary), having jurisdiction over certain matters, as penance, confession, dispensation, absolution, and impediments, and dealing with questions of conscience reserved for the Holy See.
adjective
(of an offense) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary.
of, relating to, or intended for imprisonment, reformatory discipline, or punishment.
British Dictionary definitions for grand penitentiary
penitentiary
/ (ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃərɪ) /
noun plural -ries
(in the US and Canada) a state or federal prison: in Canada, esp a federal prison for offenders convicted of serious crimes
Sometimes shortened to: pen
RC Church
- a cleric appointed to supervise the administration of the sacrament of penance in a particular area
- a priest who has special faculties to absolve particularly grave sins
- a cardinal who presides over a tribunal that decides all matters affecting the sacrament of penance
- this tribunal itself
adjective
another word for penitential (def. 1)
US and Canadian
(of an offence) punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary
Word Origin for penitentiary
C15 (meaning also: an officer dealing with penances): from Medieval Latin
poenitēntiārius, from Latin
paenitēns
penitent