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’s also revealed that Richard Parker, Peter’s father who was presumed dead, is in fact alive and imprisoned when Aunt May goes to visit him. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

The revolution has been crushed, tens of thousands remain imprisoned, and economic hardship has broken the backs of Egyptians. — Abdelrahman Elgendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

The Other Side of the Sun is based on the experiences of its director Sabouni, who was imprisoned there, as well as four other former inmates who survived. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026

Jarquín was imprisoned for nine months, and later told journalists and human rights investigators that guards burned his genitals with cigarette butts. — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 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