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impoundment

American  
[im-pound-muhnt] / ɪmˈpaʊnd mənt /
Also impoundage

noun

  1. a body of water confined within an enclosure, as a reservoir.

  2. the act of impounding.

    towing and impoundment of abandoned vehicles.

  3. the condition of being impounded.


Etymology

Origin of impoundment

First recorded in 1655–65; impound + -ment

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Dam impoundment produced different effects depending on reservoir depth.

From Science Daily May 17, 2026

In response, Congress passed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 External link, a sweeping reform that created the modern budget process and explicitly stripped the president of unilateral impoundment power.

From Barron's Oct. 6, 2025

For those who support Mamdani, it’s important to begin talking about the illegality of impoundment now.

From Slate Jul. 7, 2025

While impoundment is regulated by the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and the Supreme Court has found, in the 1975 case Train v.

From Salon Feb. 3, 2025

“Yes, of course, Mrs. Tilbury. My sojourn in Colin’s room was simply to avoid impoundment in Cleveland. As you know, I have a job at the Park. I can pay you weekly for the room.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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