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

• 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 last battle in CaliforniaThe Modocs who had attacked peace commissioners were imprisoned at Fort Klamath, where they were tried and convicted of murder. —Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025

If found guilty of a level 5 felony, Sanchez could be imprisoned anywhere from one to six years at an Indiana penitentiary and fined up to $10,000, according to the Indiana Code. —Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 12 Oct. 2025

The Chinese government has also detained and imprisoned Muslims. —Chandelis Duster, NPR, 12 Oct. 2025

The film tells the story of political prisoner Luis Molina (Tonatiuh), a man imprisoned for his homosexuality under a dictatorial regime in 1980s Argentina. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025

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