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

While pardoned for this role in the riot, Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky, remained imprisoned due to a separate conviction for possessing six guns and approximately 4,800 rounds of ammunition—a violation given his prior felony record. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025

The government in filings sought to keep four of the five imprisoned, at times painting them as connected to a cartel or as people whose only local ties are criminals. —Idaho Statesman, 14 Nov. 2025

The short is inspired by the true story of Sasha Skochilenko, a Russian artist and musician who was arrested and imprisoned for seven years for replacing four price tags with anti-war messages. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025

Hitler was arrested within days, tried and imprisoned for treason. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 8 Nov. 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