imprisonment

noun

Definition of imprisonmentnext
1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined the offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incarceration
the state of being held in lawful custody the long years of imprisonment had taken their toll on his mind and spirit as well as his body

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisonment
  1. captivity
  2. incarceration
  3. internment
  4. detention
  5. prison
  6. confinement
Noun
  • Pete Travis Timmerman, 29, from Urbana, Mo., emerged after months of captivity in an online video, which some mistakenly believed showed Austin Tice, a journalist who went missing in the country over a decade ago.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday issued a sweeping demand that Israel and Hamas reach a cease-fire agreement and that all hostages be freed from captivity.
    Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • Thousands of prisoners have now been freed, many after decades of incarceration in brutal conditions.
    Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
  • On another wall were carved prisoners’ names, birthplaces and dates of incarceration.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • At the same time, the United States and Western allies have accused Xi of overseeing widespread human rights abuses, even claims of genocide, against the nation's Uyghurs through the use of mass internment camps, a charge the Chinese leader and his government have vehemently denied.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Their strategy resulted in Trump downplaying China’s crackdown against protesters in Hong Kong, expressing support for its internment camps in Xinjiang, offering to lift export controls on Huawei and ZTE, and even accepting a trade deal that did not address China’s industrial policy practices.
    Rush Doshi, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2024
Definition of internment
Noun
  • But instead of being released to pursue their asylum claim, Marina said she and Aleksandra were held in a cold cell at a Border Patrol detention facility.
    Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The president-elect also wavered on the necessity of detention facilities.
    Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of detention
Noun
  • She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Most were ordered to pay a fine and received probation or a few months in prison.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of prison
Noun
  • That group should start with the nearly 1,500 prisoners who are currently on home confinement under the CARES Act.
    Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
  • He is being held in pretrial confinement and is awaiting a preliminary hearing.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
Definition of confinement
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near imprisonment

imprisoning

imprisonment

imprisonments

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Cite this Entry

“Imprisonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisonment. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on imprisonment

Nglish: Translation of imprisonment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of imprisonment for Arabic Speakers

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