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

He and Steve Bannon were each held in contempt of Congress and imprisoned for four months after the DOJ prosecuted them. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

The suspect has not practiced medicine since 2017 and hasn't been imprisoned throughout the eight-year investigation, France 24 noted. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025

He and Baines were imprisoned and questioned for counterfeiting coins, and Marlowe was sent home. —Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years. —Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 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