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

Her lengthy arrest record grew over the following years, and in 1981 she was imprisoned after robbing a convenience store. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026

After crash landing on the dark world directly onto the homing beacon, EO and his crazy crew are apprehended by a gang of warrior henchmen and hauled into the throne room to face the wicked alien ruler who is imprisoned in anger and hate. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Many leading activists were imprisoned under the security law, and dozens of civil society groups dissolved, including the alliance. — Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026

Families of 9/11 victims still press for a definitive trial and favor the death penalty, fearing future prisoner swaps if Mohammed is spared execution yet remains imprisoned indefinitely. — Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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