Meaning
Imprisonment means the state of being put in prison as a punishment or by legal authority. It refers to confinement or restriction of freedom, typically after being convicted of a crime.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Noun (uncountable)
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Related verb: imprison (to put someone in prison)
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Typical structure:
- be sentenced to imprisonment
- life imprisonment, imprisonment for X years
Common Phrases
- life imprisonment – a punishment of spending the rest of one’s life in prison
- term of imprisonment – the length of time someone must stay in prison
- false imprisonment – the illegal confinement of a person without lawful reason
Collocations
- serve imprisonment
- sentence to imprisonment
- release from imprisonment
- face imprisonment
- imprisonment term / duration
Examples
- He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for robbery.
- The new law reduced the maximum term of imprisonment for minor offenses.
- She faced life imprisonment for her involvement in the crime.
- The activist was released after two years of wrongful imprisonment.
- Imprisonment is often seen as a last resort for non-violent crimes.
- He avoided imprisonment by agreeing to community service.
- The court ruled it was a case of false imprisonment.
- They campaign against unfair imprisonment of political prisoners.
- His long imprisonment changed his perspective on life.
- The judge warned that repeat offenses could lead to imprisonment.
Synonyms or Related
- confinement
- incarceration
- detention
- custody
- captivity
Antonym
- freedom
- release
- liberty