Word
imprisonment
Phoneticsim·pris·on·ment, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪmˈpɹɪzənmənt/
UK/ɪmpɹˈɪzənmənt/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the state of being kept in a prison or a place you cannot leave. It is a legal punishment for a crime.
n. the state of being confined in prison; the act of restraining someone's liberty. Often used in legal contexts to describe a custodial sentence.
Examples
“The judge sentenced the thief to five years of imprisonment.”
“After the long trial, the defendant faced life imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.”
“The philosopher argued that solitary imprisonment constitutes a form of psychological torture that exceeds the state's right to punish criminal behavior.”
Examples
simple
“The judge sentenced the thief to five years of imprisonment.”
contextual
“After the long trial, the defendant faced life imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.”
complex
“The philosopher argued that solitary imprisonment constitutes a form of psychological torture that exceeds the state's right to punish criminal behavior.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “imprisonment” in context.
Verb
01. escape imprisonment
“He managed to escape imprisonment by fleeing the country before the trial began.”
verb + noun
02. face imprisonment
“The activists face imprisonment if they continue to protest against the new legislation.”
verb + noun
03. sentence to imprisonment
“The judge decided to sentence the defendant to imprisonment for a term of five years.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. life imprisonment
“The murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.”
adj + noun
05. mandatory imprisonment
“The new law introduces mandatory imprisonment for repeat offenders.”
adj + noun
06. wrongful imprisonment
“After ten years, he was finally compensated for his wrongful imprisonment.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. term of imprisonment
“The court reduced his term of imprisonment following a successful appeal.”
noun + of + noun
08. threat of imprisonment
“The threat of imprisonment was not enough to deter the whistleblowers.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
09. under imprisonment
“The political dissident remained under imprisonment for over a decade.”
prep + noun
Usage
Frequently follows the verb 'sentence to' or the adjective 'false'.
Real-World Examples
“Patterson was sentenced in September to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years for the murders of her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson , and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson .” “The Parole Board decided in April that Razzell could be released as his imprisonment was "no longer necessary" to protect the public.” Etymology
From Anglo-Norman emprisonement, from Old French emprisonnement. See imprison + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/imprisonment