English · Word Candidate

jail

/d͡ʒeɪl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: jails · jailing · jailed

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nơi hoặc cơ sở giam giữ những người bị giam giữ trái với ý chí của họ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

serve time in jail

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Confinement in a jail.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Việc giam giữ trong nhà tù

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To imprison.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Giam giữ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “jail” mean?

Is “jail” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.