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imprison
verb
im·pris·on
im-ˈpri-zᵊn
imprisoned; imprisoning; imprisons
: to put in or as if in prison : confine
Synonyms
Examples of imprison in a Sentence
He was imprisoned for murder.
He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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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
Articles Related to imprison
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
imprisoned; imprisoning
-ˈpriz-(ə-)niŋ
: to put in or as if in prison
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
Nglish: Translation of imprison for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of imprison for Arabic Speakers
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