impound

verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

impounded; impounding; impounds

transitive verb

1

a

: to shut up in or as if in a pound : confine

b

: to seize and hold in the custody of the law

impound a vehicle

c

: to take possession of

… she was dismissed and her manuscript impounded.

—Jonathan Weiner

2

: to collect and confine (water) in or as if in a reservoir

Examples of impound in a Sentence

The police impounded her car because it was illegally parked.

impound evidence for a trial

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump has attempted to unilaterally rename the Defense Department and the Kennedy Center, despite straightforward laws requiring acts of Congress to do so, and has impounded funds appropriated by Congress for child care and family assistance allocated to Democratic states. —Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026

City authorities had started destroying the makeshift homes of people living on the streets and impounding their possessions. —Saumya Roy, The Dial, 6 Jan. 2026

Police said both vehicles were impounded for safety checks. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026

The cars that were blocking the hydrants were impounded, and their owners were issued summonses. —Vanessa Murdock, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for impound

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground

Kids Definition

impound

verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

1

: to shut up in or as if in an enclosed place

2

: to seize and hold in the hands of the law

impound evidence for a trial

impoundment

-ˈpau̇n(d)-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

impound

transitive verb

im·​pound im-ˈpau̇nd 

: to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority

impound a vehicle

the police impounded the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained

impoundment noun