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

• 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

Many factory owners have fled or been imprisoned following the regime change last August, and the sector continues to grapple with unresolved regulatory and financial issues. —Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 20 Oct. 2025

The teacher explains how by being imprisoned, the cub will never learn to speak. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025

The parole hearing had been a series-long burden on Brandis and his emotionally fractured family, as Ethan had been imprisoned for fatally pushing his mother, Susan (Brandis' wife), down a flight of stairs during a mental health episode. —Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025

Nevertheless, Gačanin, Imperiale, and many others who formerly viewed Dubai as a sanctuary have been imprisoned. —Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

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