Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

imprisonment

/ɪmˈpɹɪzn̩.mənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.89 in modern English

Syllables: im-pris-on-ment
IPA: /ɪmˈpɹɪzn̩.mənt/

18

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A confinement in a place, especially a prison or a jail, especially as punishment for a crime.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"His sinews woxen weake and raw / Through long emprisonment and hard constraint."
"Every confinement of the person is an imprisonment, whether it be in a common prison, or in a private house, or even by forcibly detaining one in the public streets."
"Oh, by what plots, by what forswearings, betrayings, oppressions, imprisonments, tortures, poisonings, and under what reasons of state and politic subtilty, have these forenamed kings […] pulled the vengeance of God upon themselves […]"
"Human rights organisations say many experience imprisonment and beatings along the way."

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman emprisonement, from Old French emprisonnement. See imprison + -ment.

Origin

Source language: Old French

Word Breakdown

Root: emprisonement, emprisonnement
Suffix: imprison

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ɪmˈpɹɪzn̩.mənt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

imprisonments (plural) emprisonment (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

misimprisonment overimprisonment reimprisonment

Phrases

false imprisonment imprisonment warrant life imprisonment

Synonyms

incarceration jaildom internment captivity immurement

Questions

How do you pronounce imprisonment?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪmˈpɹɪzn̩.mənt/.
What does imprisonment mean?: A confinement in a place, especially a prison or a jail, especially as punishment for a crime.
Where does imprisonment come from?: It is traced to Old French.

How to pronounce imprisonment

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “imprisonment”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪmˈpɹɪzn̩.mənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “imprisonment”.
Repeat and practice — Say “imprisonment” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.