imprison

verb

im·​pris·​on im-ˈpri-zᵊn 

imprisoned; imprisoning; imprisons

transitive verb

: to put in or as if in prison : confine

imprisonment

im-ˈpri-zᵊn-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• commit
• confine
• immure
• incarcerate
• intern
• jail
• jug
• lock (up)

Examples of imprison in a Sentence

He was imprisoned for murder.

He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Violators can be fined, imprisoned for a year and deported. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

In Trump’s case, a New York state law passed in 2021 only restricts people imprisoned on their felony conviction from casting ballots. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024

Franky Carrillo was wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for two decades. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

Many who were imprisoned there, and at similar camps scattered in out-of-the-way corners of the country, spent the rest of their lives trying to erase the memory. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French emprisoner, from en- + prison prison

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

imprison

verb

im·​pris·​on im-ˈpriz-ᵊn 

imprisoned; imprisoning

-ˈpriz-(ə-)niŋ

: to put in or as if in prison

imprisonment

-ˈpriz-ən-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

imprison

transitive verb

im·​pris·​on

: to confine in prison especially as punishment for a crime compare false imprisonment

imprisonment noun