What does “do time” mean?

do time


Oh, this one's really interesting —

"Do time" means to spend time in prison. Like, you've been found guilty of a crime and now you're locked up, serving your sentence. That's "doing time."

So imagine someone says, "He did five years for robbery." You could also say, "He did five years' time" — same idea. Or maybe you hear, "She did time when she was young, but she turned her life around." That means she was in prison when she was younger, but she changed.

It's pretty common in movies, news stories, and everyday conversation. People say it kind of casually, not in a super formal way.

So basically — "do time" just means to be in prison for a period of time as punishment for a crime.

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