imprison

verb

im·​pris·​on im-ˈpri-zᵊn How to pronounce imprison (audio)
imprisoned; imprisoning; imprisons

transitive verb

: to put in or as if in prison : confine
imprisonment noun

Examples of imprison in a Sentence

He was imprisoned for murder. He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Violent rioters — prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned — somehow became patriotic martyrs. Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025 The regime has shot and killed demonstrators and imprisoned more than 2,000 people, including the mayor of the second-largest city, Maracaibo; several regional opposition leaders; and more than 100 children. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024 In addition, there were also prohibitions: listening to rock and roll music was frowned upon, and for having long hair you could be imprisoned. Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024 Beside him stood Ali Fadhel, who said he was imprisoned for more than three months after asking about his two brothers, taken by the militia. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for imprison 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imprison was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near imprison

Cite this Entry

“Imprison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprison. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

imprison

verb
im·​pris·​on im-ˈpriz-ᵊn How to pronounce imprison (audio)
imprisoned; imprisoning
-ˈpriz-(ə-)niŋ
: to put in or as if in prison
imprisonment noun

Legal Definition

imprison

transitive verb
im·​pris·​on
: to confine in prison especially as punishment for a crime compare false imprisonment
imprisonment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on imprison

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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