imprisonment

American  

[im-priz-uhn-muhnt] / ɪmˈprɪz ən mənt /

noun

1. the act of confining in or as if in a prison; the state of being so confined.

   Identity theft and computer fraud are criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment.

   Winter up there means cumbersome living and imprisonment in an icy hell.

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Etymology

Origin of imprisonment

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Old French emprisonnement, equivalent to imprison ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

He has created a series of four pieces he calls The Story of My Imprisonment.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2022

“Black Imprisonment Rate in the US Has Fallen by a Third since 2006.”

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

“He did nothing wrong,” Mr. Signorelli said, noting that a claim against the state that Mr. Williams filed under the Unjust Conviction and Imprisonment Act was dismissed this year.

From New York Times • May 5, 2022

Unjust Imprisonment Act should be disallowed or offset because of nearly $1.4 million in damages that Tribble received from the U.S. government and argued against portions of his claims for wages, medical costs and damages.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2016

Imprisonment, they say, now creates far more crime than it prevents, by ripping apart fragile social networks, destroying families, and creating a permanent class of unemployables.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• captivity
• confinement
• custody
• incarceration
• isolation