false imprisonment

noun

: imprisonment of a person contrary to law

Examples of false imprisonment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Maddox, who was released, is seeking $250,000 for assault, false arrest, negligence, defamation, and false imprisonment. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026

Angela Diaz pleaded guilty in October 2017 to charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forgery, perjury, grand theft and falsely reporting crimes. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026

Angela pleaded guilty in 2017 to multiple felonies, including kidnapping, false imprisonment and perjury, and was sentenced to five years in state prison. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026

City Councilmember Rowena Brown said she was punched, choked and dragged by her hair through her downtown Oakland apartment over the weekend by an acquaintance who is now charged with felony counts of assault, robbery and false imprisonment. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

false imprisonment

noun

: the tort of intentionally restraining another by physical force or the threat of physical force without privilege or authority see also false arrest at arrest