imprison
imprisoned; imprisoning; imprisons
To imprison is to hold someone in a prison or jail. It can also mean to confine them elsewhere. You might imprison a classmate in a locker, for example.
Cops imprison suspects who can't make bail, and someone could be imprisoned for a long time if convicted of a serious crime. Government agencies like the CIA and FBI also imprison people. However, you don't need a prison to imprison someone: a kidnapper holding people captive in the basement has imprisoned them.
Definitions of imprison
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lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
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confine as if in a prison
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘imprison'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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