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

The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where 39 women and one girl—the book’s nameless protagonist—have been imprisoned in an underground bunker for years. — Air Mail, 15 Aug. 2026

Murdaugh remains imprisoned on separate state and federal financial-crime sentences. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

These two individuals have been intimidated, beaten, and imprisoned – in one case for daring to challenge the authorities, and in the other for allegedly violating harsh dress codes. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 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