Auburn system

proper noun

A penal method of the 19th century in which prisoners worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Auburn system
  1. historicalA penal method of the 19th century in which prisoners worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times.

Origin

Introduced in the Auburn Prison, New York.

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Cite this entry
APA

Auburn system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Auburn%20system

MLA

“Auburn system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Auburn%20system. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Auburn system,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Auburn%20system.

Source: Auburn system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.