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
The fallout for Murdock, as seen in the episode, is his arrest and imprisonment.
—
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Her current imprisonment began in December, when she was arrested in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Fay, who was 18 at the time, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
After 36 years in prison, false testimony is revealed to have led to their imprisonment.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Kean said the current situation differs from a previous period of imprisonment around 15 years ago, when under the Than Shwe regime, Suu Kyi was also under house arrest but able to occasionally meet visiting dignitaries.
—Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 3 May 2026
The saga has included a years-long court battle, a near $5,000 fine and the threat of imprisonment.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Rumors began to circulate that Nelson Mandela was planning a trip to Cuba to thank Fidel Castro for his support during his imprisonment in South Africa, said Ducassi, who asked Chardy to verify it.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
They are also charged with one count each of unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Her current imprisonment began in December, when she was arrested in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
—ABC News, 6 May 2026
Fay, who was 18 at the time, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane, which was reduced to four strokes after the case caused an international furor and intervention from then-US President Bill Clinton.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
After 36 years in prison, false testimony is revealed to have led to their imprisonment.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
Kean said the current situation differs from a previous period of imprisonment around 15 years ago, when under the Than Shwe regime, Suu Kyi was also under house arrest but able to occasionally meet visiting dignitaries.
—Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 3 May 2026
The saga has included a years-long court battle, a near $5,000 fine and the threat of imprisonment.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Rumors began to circulate that Nelson Mandela was planning a trip to Cuba to thank Fidel Castro for his support during his imprisonment in South Africa, said Ducassi, who asked Chardy to verify it.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
They are also charged with one count each of unlawful imprisonment and removal of a dead body.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisonment
Noun
-
Ukraine is consistently working to bring its people home from Russian captivity.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
-
After being rescued from a Taiwanese fish market several years ago, Yushan is the only whale shark in captivity in the Western Hemisphere, according to aquarium officials.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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While the median home price in the Baltimore area is around $360,000, the median asset wealth for a Black family in the city unaffected by incarceration is approximately $2,700.—
Izabela Engel,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
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Another challenge came in the form of how to describe three and a half years, beginning in March 1942, that Mirikitani spent at the Tule Lake incarceration camp in Northern California, alongside thousands of other Japanese American citizens.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Among the most painful letters are those between Scheidt’s father and his brother, who would also spend time in internment camps.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The few works in the show depicting Stojka’s experiences before and after internment capture the particularity of Romani life.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The ruling questions the disparity between immigration laws that call for the detention of migrants with consistent actions of Congress in funding detention space for just a fraction of those who might be held during deportation proceedings.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
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Burke has repeatedly remarked that her office asks for detention if prosecutors believe someone is a danger to public safety.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or worse, to turn it into a sort of prison sentence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The rights lawyer fainted twice in prison on Friday in the northwestern city of Zanjan, her foundation said, and was admitted to a local hospital.—
Adam Schreck,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
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His attorneys didn’t object to his new confinement status.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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He was acquitted of two counts of criminal confinement.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisonment. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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