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 of imprison

• jail
• incarcerate

Examples of imprison in a Sentence

He was imprisoned for murder.

He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Sentencing Project, an advocacy group that wants fewer people behind bars, reports that white women were imprisoned at a rate of 41 per 100,000 in 2023, while white men were imprisoned at 341 per 100,000, more than eight times as high. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

The pity of the judge who imprisoned them here was cold comfort for a group of people who had little reason to trust any legal authority. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Pulido had been imprisoned in Venezuela since 2023 in connection with the PDVSA-Cripto corruption investigation. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Blacks in the South were routinely imprisoned on petty or trumped-up charges, then leased out to landowners, mining companies, railroads and factories as unpaid labor. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

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