Adjustment center means: Part of a prison used for the segregation and isolation of difficult prisoners.. It comes from prison or criminal-justice contexts; worth knowing what media your teen is consuming. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
adjustment center
(US) Part of a prison used for the segregation and isolation of difficult prisoners.
Definitions
Global
#1·Apr 27, 2026Global
(US) Part of a prison used for the segregation and isolation of difficult prisoners.
For parents
Adjustment center means: Part of a prison used for the segregation and isolation of difficult prisoners.. It comes from prison or criminal-justice contexts; worth knowing what media your teen is consuming. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
adjustment center means: Part of a prison used for the segregation and isolation of difficult prisoners.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: difficult
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "adjustment center" (A)
a dime a dozenAdirondack chairadjigeradjudicationadjunct professoradjustable spannerAdlerAdleyadmagadmanuensisadmassadministration
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Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- detention centre65%
A facility in which people are detained (held in custody); a jail.
- ad-seg65%
(North America) : solitary confinement in prison.
- ad-seg65%
Prison slang abbreviation for 'administrative segregation' — the bureaucratic term for solitary confinement. Inmates in ad-seg are isolated from the general prison population, typically in a small cell for 22–24 hours a day, often ostensibly for safety or security reasons. The term is used inside prisons by both inmates and staff, and has entered journalistic and activist discourse around criminal justice reform. Typically carries a loaded connotation given the documented psychological harm of prolonged isolation.
- detention centre64%
A concentration camp.
- ad-seg62%
Prison slang and administrative shorthand for administrative segregation, solitary confinement used as a management or disciplinary measure rather than formal punishment. Widely known by both inmates and staff throughout the prison system. Ad-seg is distinct from disciplinary solitary in theory but often functions similarly in practice. Used in journalism, prison reform advocacy, and inmate communication. Critics argue that administrative segregation is used as a catch-all management tool rather than a genuine safety measure, contributing to mental health crises among inmates.