Imprison
verb
To put someone in prison or another place from which they cannot leave.
The dictator imprisoned his political opponents.
Often appears as...
- imprisoned for life
- unjustly imprisoned
verb
To limit someone's freedom, movement, or choices.
His insecurity imprisoned him in a life of mediocrity.
Often appears as...
- imprisoned by fear
- imprisoned within one's mind
verb
To put someone in prison or another place from which they cannot leave.
The dictator imprisoned his political opponents.
Often appears as...
- imprisoned for life
- unjustly imprisoned
verb
To limit someone's freedom, movement, or choices.
His insecurity imprisoned him in a life of mediocrity.
Often appears as...
- imprisoned by fear
- imprisoned within one's mind
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Literal Confinement
Directly relates to physically restricting someone usually by law.
The court will imprison the guilty party for ten years.
Pro Tip 2/3Use in Context
Often used when discussing legal issues, judgment, or authority.
The law may imprison those who commit serious crimes.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Minor Offenses
Imprisonment implies a serious offense, not something trivial.
One isn't imprisoned for minor parking violations.
Pro Tip 1/3Literal Confinement
Directly relates to physically restricting someone usually by law.
The court will imprison the guilty party for ten years.
Pro Tip 2/3Use in Context
Often used when discussing legal issues, judgment, or authority.
The law may imprison those who commit serious crimes.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Minor Offenses
Imprisonment implies a serious offense, not something trivial.
One isn't imprisoned for minor parking violations.
Pro Tip 1/3Literal Confinement
Directly relates to physically restricting someone usually by law.
The court will imprison the guilty party for ten years.
Pro Tip 2/3Use in Context
Often used when discussing legal issues, judgment, or authority.
The law may imprison those who commit serious crimes.
Pro Tip 3/3Not for Minor Offenses
Imprisonment implies a serious offense, not something trivial.
One isn't imprisoned for minor parking violations.
Never forget "Imprison"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
Video examples
How changing your story...
Many of our stories are about feeling trapped, right? We feel imprisoned by our families, our jobs, our relationships, our pasts. Sometimes, we even imprison ourselves with a narrative of self-flagellation -- I know you guys all know these stories. The "everyone's life is better than mine" story, courtesy of social media.
Video examples
Bryan Stevenson: We need...
to die in prison. We have life imprisonment without parole for kids in this country. And we're actually doing some litigation. The only country in the world. I represent people on death row. It's interesting, this question of the death penalty. In many ways, we've been taught to think that the real question
Video examples
Talking about history...
was here three weeks before I was scheduled to argue two cases at the United States Supreme Court where we were asking the court to ban death and prison sentences imposed on children the u.s. is still the only country in the world that legalized its life imprisonment without parole for kids
Video examples
Who was Confucius? -...
when his father stole a sheep, Confucius informed the duke that genuinely upright fathers and sons protected one another. During his travels, Confucius almost starved, he was briefly imprisoned, and his life was threatened at several points. But he was not bitter.
Video examples
From pacifist to spy:...
She had been imprisoned for her activities as an Allied spy, but with the help of a screwdriver and two other prisoners, she was back under the Parisian stars. As she began to run, her thoughts leapt to the whirlwind of events that had brought her here…
Video examples
She Fears Her Tribe's...
the tribe and the nation the reservation was a concentration camp it was a place to imprison the Native Society away from their ways of thinking from their way of living from the way that they centered themselves in their own world so how do
Video examples
The myth of Sisyphus -...
As he was about to be imprisoned, the king asked Thanatos to show him how the chains worked – and quickly bound him instead, before escaping back among the living. With Thanatos trapped, no one could die, and the world was thrown into chaos.
Video examples
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape...
and asked me tons of questions. I was so scared. I thought my heart was going to explode. If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned and repatriated. I thought my life was over. But I managed to control all the emotions inside me,
Video examples
Sacred Cows Rescued From...
a seven year imprisonment fine if you get caught slaughtering cows but it happens nonetheless and so when the police get a tip-off that from a caring citizen that cows are being transported to slaughter they catch them and they
Video examples
Why I love a country...
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and I couldn't quite make that fit with what I knew to be my childhood imprisonment. I read history books, and I couldn't find anything about it.
Video examples
How changing your story...
Many of our stories are about feeling trapped, right? We feel imprisoned by our families, our jobs, our relationships, our pasts. Sometimes, we even imprison ourselves with a narrative of self-flagellation -- I know you guys all know these stories. The "everyone's life is better than mine" story, courtesy of social media.
Video examples
Bryan Stevenson: We need...
to die in prison. We have life imprisonment without parole for kids in this country. And we're actually doing some litigation. The only country in the world. I represent people on death row. It's interesting, this question of the death penalty. In many ways, we've been taught to think that the real question
Video examples
Talking about history...
was here three weeks before I was scheduled to argue two cases at the United States Supreme Court where we were asking the court to ban death and prison sentences imposed on children the u.s. is still the only country in the world that legalized its life imprisonment without parole for kids
Video examples
Who was Confucius? -...
when his father stole a sheep, Confucius informed the duke that genuinely upright fathers and sons protected one another. During his travels, Confucius almost starved, he was briefly imprisoned, and his life was threatened at several points. But he was not bitter.
Video examples
From pacifist to spy:...
She had been imprisoned for her activities as an Allied spy, but with the help of a screwdriver and two other prisoners, she was back under the Parisian stars. As she began to run, her thoughts leapt to the whirlwind of events that had brought her here…
Video examples
She Fears Her Tribe's...
the tribe and the nation the reservation was a concentration camp it was a place to imprison the Native Society away from their ways of thinking from their way of living from the way that they centered themselves in their own world so how do
Video examples
The myth of Sisyphus -...
As he was about to be imprisoned, the king asked Thanatos to show him how the chains worked – and quickly bound him instead, before escaping back among the living. With Thanatos trapped, no one could die, and the world was thrown into chaos.
Video examples
Hyeonseo Lee: My escape...
and asked me tons of questions. I was so scared. I thought my heart was going to explode. If anything seemed unnatural, I could be imprisoned and repatriated. I thought my life was over. But I managed to control all the emotions inside me,
Video examples
Sacred Cows Rescued From...
a seven year imprisonment fine if you get caught slaughtering cows but it happens nonetheless and so when the police get a tip-off that from a caring citizen that cows are being transported to slaughter they catch them and they
Video examples
Why I love a country...
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and I couldn't quite make that fit with what I knew to be my childhood imprisonment. I read history books, and I couldn't find anything about it.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Vicky Krieps
Luxembourger Actress
For me, the costume is very important. More the feel of it than the look of it. I take it more from the inside. So if I wear something that's heavy, it will affect my character. Is it very tight, and do I feel almost imprisoned, or is it very comfortable? It's the feeling of the costume that tells me where to go with the character.
Quote examples
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
South African Activist
The years of imprisonment hardened me... Perhaps if you have been given a moment to hold back and wait for the next blow, your emotions wouldn't be blunted as they have been in my case. When it happens every day of your life, when that pain becomes a way of life... there is no longer anything I can fear.
Quote examples
Romesh Gunesekera
Sri Lankan Author
Novels are the means by which we can escape the moment we are imprisoned in, but at the same time, the roots of a novel are in the world in which it is written. We write, and we read, to understand the world we live in.
Quote examples
Ronnie James Dio
American Musician
Saddam's fate should be in the hands of his country men. They were the major victims of his brutal reign and should decide his life, death, or permanent imprisonment. Personally, I would lock him away forever.
Quote examples
Jacque Fresco
American Inventor
Our leaders pay lip service to the freedoms that democracy provides while actually supporting an economic structure that imprisons its citizens under more and more debt.
Quote examples
Stephen Kinzer
American Author
Western powers remain imprisoned by the idea that the world is a dangerous place, that it needs to be managed, and that they are called upon to do the managing.
Quote examples
Graham Greene
British Novelist
It is impossible to go through life without trust: that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself.
Quote examples
J. Michael Straczynski
American Producer
No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever.
Quote examples
Nick Yarris
American Writer
I believe life imprisonment is far worse than the death penalty.
Quote examples
Harry Emerson Fosdick
American Clergyman
Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.
Quote examples
Vicky Krieps
Luxembourger Actress
For me, the costume is very important. More the feel of it than the look of it. I take it more from the inside. So if I wear something that's heavy, it will affect my character. Is it very tight, and do I feel almost imprisoned, or is it very comfortable? It's the feeling of the costume that tells me where to go with the character.
Quote examples
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
South African Activist
The years of imprisonment hardened me... Perhaps if you have been given a moment to hold back and wait for the next blow, your emotions wouldn't be blunted as they have been in my case. When it happens every day of your life, when that pain becomes a way of life... there is no longer anything I can fear.
Quote examples
Romesh Gunesekera
Sri Lankan Author
Novels are the means by which we can escape the moment we are imprisoned in, but at the same time, the roots of a novel are in the world in which it is written. We write, and we read, to understand the world we live in.
Quote examples
Ronnie James Dio
American Musician
Saddam's fate should be in the hands of his country men. They were the major victims of his brutal reign and should decide his life, death, or permanent imprisonment. Personally, I would lock him away forever.
Quote examples
Jacque Fresco
American Inventor
Our leaders pay lip service to the freedoms that democracy provides while actually supporting an economic structure that imprisons its citizens under more and more debt.
Quote examples
Stephen Kinzer
American Author
Western powers remain imprisoned by the idea that the world is a dangerous place, that it needs to be managed, and that they are called upon to do the managing.
Quote examples
Graham Greene
British Novelist
It is impossible to go through life without trust: that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself.
Quote examples
J. Michael Straczynski
American Producer
No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever.
Quote examples
Nick Yarris
American Writer
I believe life imprisonment is far worse than the death penalty.
Quote examples
Harry Emerson Fosdick
American Clergyman
Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.
Example 1 of 10
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension