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

Agatha strikes up a conversation with her neighbor, John (played by David A. Payton) and promptly freaks out upon realizing she’s been imprisoned by Wanda. —Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024

His father, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y Alberni II, mayor of Santiago, was imprisoned, and their home was raided by rioters. —Raj Tawney, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024

Weinstein remains imprisoned for a 2022 conviction of rape in California, where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2023. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2024

It's been restored to reflect the way the monarchs lived before Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown and imprisoned. —Shawna Chen, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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