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
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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
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Recent Examples of imprisonment
And there was a habeas petition, which is a particular kind of lawsuit that allows somebody to challenge the legality of their imprisonment or other deprivations of liberty.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
That imprisonment lasted about a month, before Tanimoto and the others from his block returned to the rest of the internment camp population.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The psychic and physical toll of white supremacy, sustained cruelty, imprisonment, famine, poverty, depression, grief, or illness constricts one’s depth of imagination and movement.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Korac has 14 prior arrests, with charges including identify theft, forgery, unlawful imprisonment and burglary, cops said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Since then, the law has been changed to allow members to be expelled for breaching the Lords code of conduct, imprisonment or non-attendance.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Widespread torture, political imprisonment, attacks on collective worker rights and restrictions on basic liberties often appear long before large-scale killings begin.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
During their imprisonment, Ina’s mother kept a diary.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
The film examines Archbishop Tutu’s emergence as a driver of the anti-Apartheid movement after the 1976 Soweto uprising, the murder in police custody of Steve Biko in 1977, and during the long imprisonment of Nelson Mandela.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
That imprisonment lasted about a month, before Tanimoto and the others from his block returned to the rest of the internment camp population.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The psychic and physical toll of white supremacy, sustained cruelty, imprisonment, famine, poverty, depression, grief, or illness constricts one’s depth of imagination and movement.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Korac has 14 prior arrests, with charges including identify theft, forgery, unlawful imprisonment and burglary, cops said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
Since then, the law has been changed to allow members to be expelled for breaching the Lords code of conduct, imprisonment or non-attendance.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Widespread torture, political imprisonment, attacks on collective worker rights and restrictions on basic liberties often appear long before large-scale killings begin.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
During their imprisonment, Ina’s mother kept a diary.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026
The film examines Archbishop Tutu’s emergence as a driver of the anti-Apartheid movement after the 1976 Soweto uprising, the murder in police custody of Steve Biko in 1977, and during the long imprisonment of Nelson Mandela.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisonment
Noun
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David and Ariel Cunio, who were among the last Israeli hostages to be freed from Gaza after two years of captivity last October, will travel to Berlin next week for a screening of Tom Shoval’s A Letter To David – The Complete Version.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Under the terms of the Dix-Hill agreement, some 30,000 prisoners were returned from captivity by the fall, but the formal exchange arrangement was soon upended.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Journalist Vida Rabbani and activist Abdollah Momeni, who were arrested with Mahmoudian in January, were also released after 17 days of incarceration.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
My approach involves raising wages, protecting affordable housing, and dismantling the workforce barriers that follow people after incarceration.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The core of this CW series is a romance between a human girl, Emery, and an alien boy called Roman who met a decade earlier when the extraterrestrial visitors first crash-landed on Earth and were rounded up and placed in an internment camp.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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Flags at Indiana's state facilities will remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of Hamilton's internment, according to the release.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the case at hand, the defendants have been indicted in connection with the July 4 shooting of a local police lieutenant outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Johnson County.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated February 17,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The New Mexico measure prohibits state and local government contracts for ICE detention facilities and bars agreements that allow local law officers to carry out federal immigration functions.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
He was charged with sedition and sent to a federal prison in North Dakota.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Harrell left the band the following year and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2015.—
Jim Beaugez,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Tanimoto, as the last living Block 42 resister, carries a singular piece of that history — a controversy and act of resistance within the walls of confinement that illustrated the dilemma faced by people imprisoned by their own country without accusation of a crime.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Welty's death is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit against DCS in which family members allege that DCS prematurely closed three of six anonymous complaints brought against Kinsleigh's mother, Toni McClure, who has since been charged with murder and criminal confinement.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisonment. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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