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

It was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, less than a year after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, alongside Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, who was imprisoned at the time, and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties. —Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026

He was imprisoned in Wormwood Scrubs as a conscientious objector in 1918. —Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026

In the Season 1 finale, Punisher was imprisoned by Kingpin’s police force but managed to escape in the post-credits scene. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026

Albuquerque duly arrived in India, expecting to take charge, but Almeida imprisoned him in August 1509, reportedly having doubted the legality of his commission. —Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 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