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

Those imprisoned under that code were forced to wear a pink triangle to denote homosexuality. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025

The crackdown left hundreds killed, thousands imprisoned and several executed. —Sahar Zand, ABC News, 28 June 2025

This one-season triumph from 1967 is about a spy (Patrick McGoohan) imprisoned in a village by sinister forces who want something from him. —Rory Doherty, Time, 27 June 2025

Which story series inspired the U.K. ringleader (subsequently convicted and imprisoned)? Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle Hercule Poirot, an Agatha Christie sleuth James Bond, invented by Ian Fleming The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson Thanks for reading! —Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 19 June 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