imprison

1 of 2

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

imprisonment

2 of 2

noun

im·​pris·​on·​ment -zᵊnmənt 

plural -s

1

: the act of imprisoning or the state of being imprisoned : confinement, restraint

2

: constraint of a person either by force or by such other coercion as restrains him within limits against his will

Synonyms of imprison

Verb

• jail
• incarcerate

Examples of imprison in a Sentence

Verb

He was imprisoned for murder.

He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Watson was imprisoned in Greenland for five months in 2024 after being arrested on a Japanese warrant over charges of obstructing a whaling ship in 2010. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

Liz Mitchell, the spokesperson, said in a statement that the board voted 3-0 to deny Grayson’s application, keeping him imprisoned. — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Future plots to imprison a critic of the MAGA movement might not be undermined by a loudmouth president who can’t help but give away the scheme. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

The fact is, no one is imprisoned for their political beliefs—for example, those who used a drone to [try to] assassinate the president. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French emprisoner, from en- + prison prison

Noun

Middle English enprisonment, inprisonment, from Middle French emprisonnement, from Old French, from emprisoner + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

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