4syllables
penitentiary
Hyphenation via the Knuth-Liang algorithm — result not verified against authoritative sources.
penitentiary is a polysyllabic word with 4 syllables. Using the Knuth-Liang algorithm, we calculated the hyphenation for the word you’ve entered. However, this hyphenation has not been verified against authoritative sources and may be approximate. This is because the algorithm relies on pre-defined patterns that may not cover all exceptions, contextual variations, or irregular spellings. We are working to verify hyphenations against trusted sources to ensure greater accuracy. For now, penitentiary is hyphenated as:
Definitions ofpenitentiary
1noun
- A state or federal prison for convicted felons; (broadly) a prison.
- A priest in the Roman Catholic Church who administers the sacrament of penance.
- One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
- One who does penance.
- A small building in a monastery, or a part of a church, where penitents confessed.
- 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.
- An officer in some dioceses since 1215, vested with power from the bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
1adjective
- Of or relating to penance; penitential.
- Of or relating to the punishment of criminals.
Nearby Words
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