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

There was no sign former leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be freed or if the pardon would include the thousands of political detainees imprisoned for opposing military rule. —ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026

To profile people and arrest them without warrants, imprison them and deport them without due process is not the democratic way. —Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

Unsurprisingly, some of the most notable stories in the series surround Pearlman, who launched and managed the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC and was eventually imprisoned after stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in a ponzi scheme. —Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026

In 2022, Griner was imprisoned in Russia for 294 days for allegedly carrying hashish oil while entering the country to play basketball. —Zoya Wazir, NBC news, 14 Apr. 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