imprison

[im-priz-uh n]

See more synonyms for imprison on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to confine in or as if in a prison.

Origin of imprison

1250–1300; Middle English enprisonen < Old French enprisoner, equivalent to en- en-¹ + prison prison + -er infinitive suffix

Related formsim·pris·on·a·ble, adjectiveim·pris·on·er, nounim·pris·on·ment, nounre·im·pris·on, verb (used with object)re·im·pris·on·ment, nounun·im·pris·on·a·ble, adjectiveun·im·pris·oned, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for imprison on Thesaurus.com

incarcerate, jail, restrain.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for imprison

Contemporary Examples

Elsewhere, she tells her inamorata, “It does not matter if you elude my arms/my dear, when thought alone can imprison you.”
Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun
Katie Baker
November 8, 2014
They voted to imprison people convicted of being gay for two years and six months.
Ukraine Rebels Love Russia, Hate Gays, Threaten Executions
Anna Nemtsova
October 25, 2014
Why did it take so long to imprison the men responsible for this terrible crime?
40 years for Justice: Did the FBI Cover for the Birmingham Bombers?
Gary May
September 15, 2013
It was ‘us vs. them,’ and ‘we need to kill or imprison them all.’
‘Shadow Dancer’ Explores Post-Thatcher’s London During the Troubles
Marlow Stern
May 31, 2013
But the villagers, headed by the chief Manyenga, takes his money and imprison him.
This Week’s Hot Reads: May 14, 2012
Jimmy So
May 14, 2012

Historical Examples

And then, too, what fine jokers are those fellows who imprison art in a toy-box!
The Fat and the Thin
Emile Zola
A man may arrest his own slave, and he may also imprison for safe-keeping the runaway slave of a friend.
Laws
Plato
If they imprison you for resisting their tyrannies, others will take your place.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine
Who has the right to imprison and assign the terms and conditions to the imprisoned?
The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its Experiences
Hosea Quinby
It is in self-seeking and advancement that we narrow our faculties and imprison our natures.
A Day's Ride
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for imprison

imprison

verb

(tr) to confine in or as if in prison

Derived Formsimprisoner, nounimprisonment, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for imprison

v.

c.1300, from Old French emprisoner (12c.), from em- "in" (see in- (2)) + prison (see prison). Related: Imprisoned; imprisoning.

imprison

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}imprison

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for imprison

Contemporary Examples

Elsewhere, she tells her inamorata, “It does not matter if you elude my arms/my dear, when thought alone can imprison you.”

They voted to imprison people convicted of being gay for two years and six months.

Why did it take so long to imprison the men responsible for this terrible crime?

It was ‘us vs. them,’ and ‘we need to kill or imprison them all.’

But the villagers, headed by the chief Manyenga, takes his money and imprison him.

Historical Examples

And then, too, what fine jokers are those fellows who imprison art in a toy-box!

A man may arrest his own slave, and he may also imprison for safe-keeping the runaway slave of a friend.

If they imprison you for resisting their tyrannies, others will take your place.

Who has the right to imprison and assign the terms and conditions to the imprisoned?

It is in self-seeking and advancement that we narrow our faculties and imprison our natures.

imprison

Word Origin and History for imprison

v.

Origin of imprison