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

But only a few dozen political prisoners were released at the time and some were imprisoned again later, like dissidents Jose Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026

The Painted Hall is the same spot where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned after being deposed by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I in 1567. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

Tommy Thompson, a research scientist who was imprisoned for a decade after refusing to disclose where an 1800s shipwreck's gold coins were being stored, was released, according to federal Bureau of Prisons records. —Arkansas Online, 11 Mar. 2026

At 15, a Czech citizen and Jewish, he was imprisoned by the Nazis and survived a death camp march from Auschwitz. —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 10 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