imprison Definition
- 1to put someone in prison or to keep them as a prisoner
- 2to restrict someone's freedom or limit their ability to do something
Using imprison: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "imprison" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He was imprisoned for ten years for his crimes.
Example
The government has been criticized for imprisoning political dissidents.
Example
The walls of the castle imprisoned her within its confines.
Example
Her fear of failure imprisoned her and prevented her from taking risks.
imprison Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using imprison
Example
He did time in prison for his involvement in the robbery.
Example
The judge decided to throw away the key and sentenced the murderer to life in prison.
Example
He spent ten years behind bars for his crimes.
Phrases with imprison
to be limited or restricted by something
Example
She felt imprisoned by her own fears and doubts.
Example
The strict rules of the school seemed to imprison the students' minds.
self-imprisonment
the act of limiting oneself or one's own freedom
Example
His self-imprisonment in his own thoughts prevented him from enjoying life.
Origins of imprison
from Old French 'emprisoner', from en- 'in' + prison 'prison'
Summary: imprison in Brief
The verb 'imprison' [im-priz-uhn] means to put someone in prison or to restrict someone's freedom. It can refer to physical confinement, as in 'He was imprisoned for ten years for his crimes,' or mental confinement, as in 'The strict rules of the school seemed to imprison the students' minds.' Idioms like 'do time (in prison)' and 'throw away the key' refer to serving a prison sentence or being imprisoned for a long time.
