impound
verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd 
impounded; impounding; impounds
1
a
: to shut up in or as if in a pound : confine
b
: to seize and hold in the custody of the law
impound a vehicle
c
: to take possession of
… she was dismissed and her manuscript impounded.—
Jonathan Weiner
Jonathan Weiner2
: to collect and confine (water) in or as if in a reservoir
Examples of impound in a Sentence
The police impounded her car because it was illegally parked.
impound evidence for a trial
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the north state’s major reservoirs are running well above average for this time of year, with Shasta Lake, the primary federal supply, impounding 72% of capacity — 123% of its historical average — as of Tuesday.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Michael DiStefano, another member of Diggs’ legal team, appeared at the courthouse on Tuesday and asked that the police report be impounded to keep details under seal, Boston 25 News reported.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Diggs’s attorney, Michael DiStefano, appeared remotely in Dedham District Court on Tuesday to request that police documents in the case be impounded.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
The law also would allow the Illinois Secretary of State's Office to impound unregistered tow trucks and suspend tow truck registrations for unpaid Illinois Commerce Commission fines.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impound
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Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Michael DiStefano, another member of Diggs’ legal team, appeared at the courthouse on Tuesday and asked that the police report be impounded to keep details under seal, Boston 25 News reported.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Diggs’s attorney, Michael DiStefano, appeared remotely in Dedham District Court on Tuesday to request that police documents in the case be impounded.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
The law also would allow the Illinois Secretary of State's Office to impound unregistered tow trucks and suspend tow truck registrations for unpaid Illinois Commerce Commission fines.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impound
Cite this Entry
“Impound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impound. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impound
verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd
1
: to shut up in or as if in an enclosed place
2
: to seize and hold in the hands of the law
impound evidence for a trial
impoundment
noun
-ˈpau̇n(d)-mənt
Legal Definition
impound
transitive verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd
: to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority
impound a vehicle
the police impounded the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained
impoundment
noun
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