1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incarceration
the state of being held in lawful custody
the long years of imprisonment had taken their toll on his mind and spirit as well as his body
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imprisonment
The kidnapping itself was extremely violent, but for the first month of my imprisonment, I was not otherwise physically abused.
—
Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Sharing unauthorized information about Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war is punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
—Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Overton faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment on the wire fraud count and a mandatory, consecutive sentence of 2 years imprisonment on the identity theft count.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The dramatic arc of the film’s first half — filled with the ecstasy of God’s embrace and the agony of imprisonment — is told through musical numbers, adapted from the Shakers’ ecstatic worship, dance, hymns, and music (watch the video above to learn more).
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
Although the two women remained close friends up until their arrest, their relationship may have gone south post-imprisonment.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Officers understood that a move against Maduro without clear guarantees of immunity meant risking imprisonment, torture, confiscation of assets, and the ill-treatment of their families.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 3 Jan. 2026
Hundreds gathered outside El Arepazo in Doral, sharing stories of lives upended by political violence, shortages and imprisonment, and expressing hope for freedom and a chance to rebuild their country.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
If convicted of both charges against him, Cole faces up to 10 years of imprisonment on one charge and up to 20 years of imprisonment on a second charge that also carries a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.
—Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisonment
Noun
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After Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband Aviv were abducted by Hamas on October 7, Liat’s father Yehuda embarks on an uncertain mission to secure his daughter’s release while resisting pressure to use her captivity to justify escalating violence in Gaza.—
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Sharabi told Fox News Digital about his life after captivity.—
Noun
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Trump has also repeatedly lashed out over the state’s incarceration of Tina Peters, the former county clerk convicted of state felonies related to her attempts to prove discredited election conspiracies shared by the president.—
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Boardman imposed a sentence of 97 months, citing Roske’s mental health and concerns about incarceration conditions and his status as a first-time criminal offender.—
Noun
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Through a mix of fiction and nonfiction, Questions 27 & 28 introduces us to three generations of characters who were all impacted by FDR’s internment, a novelistic investigation of a shameful American chapter.—
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In wartime Los Angeles, with Pearl Harbor still fresh in people's minds, and 120,000 Japanese Americans banished to internment camps, paranoia ran deep.—
Noun
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Malliotakis has not been in contact with the family of Luckey-Lange, son of the late musician Diane Luckey, but initially reached out to the State Department after her office received inquiries about his detention from local and state media.—
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No arrests, detentions or altercations with police were reported.—
Noun
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The Department of Justice said Steven Anthony Cowles, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.—
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The two counts of second-degree assault could carry up to seven years in prison each, if convicted.—
Noun
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He was transferred to home confinement in Philadelphia, the Bureau of Prisons told TMZ Thursday.—
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Her confinement was not the result of any criminal conduct, but of bureaucratic error compounded by institutional inertia.—
Cite this Entry
“Imprisonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisonment. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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