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

Those who do speak out risk being abducted, imprisoned or drafted into the army. —Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026

She was imprisoned in Salimgarh Fort (a part of Red Fort) in Delhi by her father for more than 20 years for inciting her brother, Muhammad Akbar, to commit treason. —Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, Hughie, Mother’s Milk, and Frenchie are imprisoned in a Freedom Camp, and Annie struggles to mount a resistance against the overwhelming Supe force. —Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2026

Mohammadi has a heart condition and suffered multiple heart attacks while imprisoned before undergoing emergency surgery in 2022, her supporters say. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 31 Mar. 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