1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incarceration
the state of being held in lawful custody
the long years of imprisonment had taken their toll on his mind and spirit as well as his body
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of imprisonment
Experts say the court likely will sentence him to life or a lengthy imprisonment because South Korea has maintained a de-facto moratorium on executions since late 1997.
—
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Simon faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Experts say the court likely will sentence him to life or a lengthy imprisonment because South Korea has maintained a de-facto moratorium on executions since late 1997.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Charla has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, felony murder and unlawful imprisonment, her court records show.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Failure to comply with the law carries a misdemeanor penalty with a fine or even imprisonment, Pham said.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
Carlos Juan Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo each received a life sentence for felony murder and 228 days to 80 years in prison for two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Earlier this month, Hudson, Sterling and Ahmed attended a Parliamentary debate with MP Jess Asato, the Birth Companions Institute and Project Accountability to discuss children’s social care, maternal imprisonment, the family courts, housing provision and intergenerational cycles of trauma.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The imprisonment and death of Aldo Moro There is a lot of ambiguity and speculation around the abduction and death of Aldo Moro, which lets The Big Fake turn conspiracy into suspenseful drama that keeps Toni close to the epicenter of the kidnapping.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Simon faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Experts say the court likely will sentence him to life or a lengthy imprisonment because South Korea has maintained a de-facto moratorium on executions since late 1997.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Charla has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, felony murder and unlawful imprisonment, her court records show.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Failure to comply with the law carries a misdemeanor penalty with a fine or even imprisonment, Pham said.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
Carlos Juan Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo each received a life sentence for felony murder and 228 days to 80 years in prison for two counts of unlawful imprisonment.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Earlier this month, Hudson, Sterling and Ahmed attended a Parliamentary debate with MP Jess Asato, the Birth Companions Institute and Project Accountability to discuss children’s social care, maternal imprisonment, the family courts, housing provision and intergenerational cycles of trauma.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The imprisonment and death of Aldo Moro There is a lot of ambiguity and speculation around the abduction and death of Aldo Moro, which lets The Big Fake turn conspiracy into suspenseful drama that keeps Toni close to the epicenter of the kidnapping.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisonment
Noun
-
The denial aligned with Canada’s 2019 ban on whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland’s animals were exempt under grandfathering provisions.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
That is consistent with a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland's animals were grandfathered in.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But in a zero-sum world, where more money spent on incarceration means less money available for California’s growing network of trauma recovery centers, that’s a bad bargain.—
Kathy Brown-Lowe,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Ladner noted that Pennington County had to expand its jail, even after accepting MacArthur Foundation money to implement alternatives to incarceration.—
John Hult,
States Newsroom,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
People living in Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona were forced to leave their homes and property and were sent to 10 internment camps in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Some of its soldiers fought for the Allies even as their relatives were detained in Japanese American internment camps because they were considered a public danger.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Tobay Robles challenged his detention in federal district court, and Schiltz issued an order last week requiring federal immigration authorities to either provide him with a bond hearing within seven days or immediately release him from custody if a hearing was not provided.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
City response The facility has made headlines in recent weeks since an initial report from The Washington Post that disclosed Kansas City as a potential site for an ICE detention facility.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Department of Justice said Steven Anthony Cowles, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The two counts of second-degree assault could carry up to seven years in prison each, if convicted.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Under both bills, first-time offenders who perform without a license or with an expired license face a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, one year confinement or both.—
Barbara Hoberock,
Oklahoman,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Federal prosecutors are recommending Claustro serve time in home confinement, rather than prison, along with probation.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisonment. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
