imprison

verb

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

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 Many of her neighbors, rafted together by war and dictatorship, and imprisoned for the sins of their husbands and fathers, have nowhere to return to. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 He was imprisoned for 21 years before his conviction was overturned after DNA testing proved that another man was responsible. Andy Rose, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 His fellow producer and winner, Branko Lustig, had been imprisoned as a child for two years in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 One of her friend’s cousins was killed by the Israel Defense Forces, and many others were wrongfully imprisoned. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The 7-day truce brought about the release of about 100 hostages — mostly women, children and foreign nationals — in exchange for about 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as well as a brief halt in the fighting. CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024 Cuba has imprisoned Latin Grammy–winning singer Maykel Castillo Pérez for his activism. Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 In 2022, professional basketball player Brittney Griner was detained for 10 months, then traded for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S. Griner was in Russia for a tournament when authorities arrested her on charges of being in possession of vape cartridges with cannabis. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Despite being the center of local interest, this drift ice now has a history of imprisoning orcas. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imprison.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near imprison

Cite this Entry

“Imprison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imprison. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
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