imprison

verb

im·​pris·​on im-ˈpri-zᵊn How to pronounce imprison (audio)
imprisoned; imprisoning; imprisons
Synonyms of imprisonnext

transitive verb

: to put in or as if in prison : confine
imprisonment noun

Examples of imprison in a Sentence

He was imprisoned for murder. He has threatened to imprison his political opponents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Assistant District Attorney Desmond McCallum said in court Thursday that cellphone and Apple Cloud information suggested Dominque had been imprisoned in the bathroom and a dog crate. Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026 Reports later revealed that the Turpin parents restricted the food their children could eat, left several of them in a home alone to fend for themselves, and imprisoned, beat, and strangled their kids. Stephanie Kaloi, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026 Routh suggested trading himself for journalists imprisoned in China, protesters held in Iran or prisoners of war suffering in Russia. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026 Thousands more have been imprisoned. Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imprison

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French emprisoner, from en- + prison prison

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of imprison was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imprison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprison. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

imprison

verb
im·​pris·​on im-ˈpriz-ᵊn How to pronounce imprison (audio)
imprisoned; imprisoning
-ˈpriz-(ə-)niŋ
: to put in or as if in prison
imprisonment noun

Legal Definition

imprison

transitive verb
im·​pris·​on
: to confine in prison especially as punishment for a crime compare false imprisonment
imprisonment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on imprison

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster