imprison
B2Formal, legal, journalistic, literary.
Definition
Meaning
To put someone in prison as a punishment for a crime.
To confine or restrict someone or something in a restrictive situation or place, not necessarily a literal prison (e.g., imprisoned by debt, imprisoned in a bad relationship).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily transitive. Often implies a legal, official, or forceful act of confinement. The figurative use is common and powerful.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or legal usage. Both use 'jail' as a more common verb in informal contexts.
Connotations
Identical. Carries strong connotations of punishment, loss of liberty, and authority.
Frequency
Equally frequent in formal/literary contexts in both varieties. 'Jail' or 'lock up' is more common in everyday speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] [V] [O] (for + crime)[S] [V] [O] (in + place)[S] [V] [O] (by + abstract force)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A mind imprisoned by dogma”
- “Imprisoned by one's own fears”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly metaphorical: 'The company was imprisoned by its outdated business model.'
Academic
Common in legal, historical, political, and sociological texts discussing punishment, human rights, or power structures.
Everyday
Used, but 'jail' or 'lock up' is more frequent. Figurative use is common: 'I feel imprisoned in this job.'
Technical
Core term in legal documents and court rulings.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The judge could imprison him for a maximum of five years.
- He was wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.
- She felt imprisoned by the endless grey skies of November.
American English
- The statute allows the state to imprison repeat offenders.
- They were imprisoned without bail.
- He's imprisoned by his own stubborn pride.
adverb
British English
- Not a standard derived form. Use 'in prison' or similar.
American English
- Not a standard derived form. Use 'in jail' or similar.
adjective
British English
- The imprisoned activist wrote letters daily.
- An imprisoned mind cannot think freely.
American English
- The imprisoned man maintained his innocence.
- She fought for the rights of the imprisoned population.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police can imprison bad people.
- He was imprisoned for stealing.
- The court decided to imprison the thief for two years.
- If you break the law, you risk being imprisoned.
- The dictator imprisoned anyone who opposed him.
- She felt imprisoned in her own home during the long lockdown.
- The journalist was arbitrarily imprisoned for criticising the regime.
- The novel explores the theme of individuals imprisoned by societal expectations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: IM (into) + PRISON. You put someone INTO a PRISON.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESTRICTION IS IMPRISONMENT (e.g., imprisoned by tradition, imprisoned by debt).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'impress' (производить впечатление).
- The Russian 'посадить в тюрьму' is a phrase, while 'imprison' is a single verb.
- Figurative use is direct and common in English, similar to 'заточить' metaphorically.
Common Mistakes
- He was imprisoned *during* 10 years. (Correct: *for* 10 years.)
- They imprisoned him into a small room. (Correct: *in* a small room.)
- Using it intransitively: *He imprisoned for theft. (Correct: He was imprisoned for theft.)
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely meaning of 'imprison' in a modern context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The primary noun is 'imprisonment' (e.g., a sentence of five years' imprisonment).
No. While the primary object is a person, it can be used figuratively for abstract nouns: 'a talent imprisoned by fear'.
'Imprison' is more formal and broader (can include prisons, camps, etc.). 'Jail' is more common in everyday speech and often refers to local, short-term confinement.
Yes, but the subject is usually an authority (state, court, regime). 'The court imprisoned him.' More often, it's used in the passive voice: 'He was imprisoned.'