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

In the movie, Isaiah is framed for an attack on the president, and a throng of police officers chase him across White House grounds and eventually imprison him. —Maya Phillips, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Arrested by the new regime, the captain was imprisoned for seven months and suffered regular and severe torture, including the amputation of a testicle. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025

Our Spacious Skies Isle of Infamy John J. Miller On the remote Dry Tortugas, Dr. Samuel Mudd was imprisoned for the crime of aiding Lincoln’s assassin. —George Weigel, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025

The film documents their lives while imprisoned at Sing Sing, finding purpose by acting in a theater group alongside other incarcerated men. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for imprison

• arisen
• kisan
• mizzen
• nisan
• prison
• risen

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