impound

verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

impounded; impounding; impounds

transitive verb

1

a

: to shut up in or as if in a pound : confine

b

: to seize and hold in the custody of the law

c

: to take possession of

she was dismissed and her manuscript impounded

—Jonathan Weiner

2

: to collect and confine (water) in or as if in a reservoir

Examples of impound in a Sentence

The police impounded her car because it was illegally parked.

impound evidence for a trial

Recent Examples on the Web

The veto was overridden, but rather than allow disbursement of the funds, Nixon impounded them, refusing to release the money. —Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025

Animal Services impounded 194 animals in 2023 and another 298 last year. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025

The law was signed after then-President Nixon canceled billions in spending, impounding $7.7 billion during the 1973 fiscal year and about $12.8 billion two years earlier. —Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025

They were then arrested and the truck was impounded. —Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for impound

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground

Kids Definition

impound

verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

1

: to shut up in or as if in an enclosed place

2

: to seize and hold in the hands of the law

impound evidence for a trial

impoundment

-ˈpau̇n(d)-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

impound

transitive verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

: to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority

impound a vehicle

the police impounded the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained

impoundment noun