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# imprison

verb (imprison, imprisons, imprisoned, imprisoning)

«imprison» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (law) To put someone in prison or keep them locked up. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#m1)
2. To trap or keep someone or something somewhere so they cannot leave. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#m2)
3. To keep something you value, such as your honour, shut away so that it cannot be used or freed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history and law it describes people sent to prison for crimes, or unfairly for their beliefs. In stories villains imprison heroes in towers. In the Bible Paul and Peter were imprisoned. Phrases: be imprisoned for, imprisoned in, wrongly imprisoned.

### Examples

- The thief was imprisoned for three years. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x1)
- The wicked queen imprisoned the princess in a tower. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x2)
- In the Bible, Paul was imprisoned for preaching. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x3)
- The bird felt imprisoned in its small cage. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x4)
- Some people have been wrongly imprisoned. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x5)
- The snow imprisoned us in the cabin for two days. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/#x6)

### Note

Noun: imprisonment. Prefix im- here means «in», not «not». Similar: jail, lock up, detain. Opposite: release, free.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «imprison» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprison/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«imprison» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/imprison.html) on Mova free.