imprisonment
Americannoun
-
imprisonments
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of imprisonment
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Old French emprisonnement, equivalent to imprison ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )
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:
Under the new legislation, capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment with hard labour.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Dyslexic, Harry dropped out of school in the ninth grade, joined the Navy, and served two weeks’ military imprisonment before returning to New York City to work odd jobs and scrape by.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"They have endured targeting, imprisonment, exile, and surveillance for simply reporting the news. It is an honor to recognize their commitment to documenting the truth."
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
He arranged the private screening to symbolically request Robert De Niro’s blessing to play the dangerously charismatic Max Cady, an ex-con parched for revenge against those who had a hand in his imprisonment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
On June 21, 1926, Burkhart was sentenced to life imprisonment and hard labor.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
He reunited with his wife in the final months of his life, as he suffered from ill-health caused by his imprisonments.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2024
“It’s disturbing, it’s terrifying, and it’s a major violation of protected speech,” Freedom House’s Nate Schenkkan said of the recent imprisonments of Western-based Saudis.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
Even a recent number of arrests and imprisonments for defaming the president do not appear to have dented Mr. Hichilema’s popularity.
From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
Part of the increase in the 50-plus prison population is due to new imprisonments and reimprisonments because of parole violations.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 30, 2017
Both of us were spared, in body at least, by the stone walls of our different imprisonments, and altered in spirit, in ways we’re struggling to understand.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
