imprison

• emprison

From Middle English imprisonen, emprisounen, emprisonen, from Old French emprisonner.

• IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɪzən/
• Rhymes: -ɪzən

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

imprison (third-person singular simple present imprisons, present participle imprisoning, simple past and past participle imprisoned)

1. (transitive) To put in or as if in prison; confine somebody against their will.
   • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 87:

     [...] demand for the boots fell sharply after the Battle of Waterloo, and Brunel was imprisoned for debt in 1821.

The term to imprison implies a sentencing has taken place when used to describe actions taken by a legal system, whereas to jail may imply a temporary holding before a trial, conviction, and sentencing.

• bang up
• gaol, jail
• lock up
• put away
• immure
• (British, colloquial) send to the Tower
• See also Thesaurus:imprison

• imprisoner
• imprisonment

• promisin'