1. the state of being confined in prison as punishment for a crime
2. the act of putting someone in prison

Examples

• The judge sentenced him to five years of imprisonment.
• She was facing possible imprisonment for tax evasion.
• The wrongful imprisonment lasted three years before new evidence emerged.
• His imprisonment began immediately after the trial ended.
• The threat of imprisonment deterred many potential criminals.
• Life imprisonment is the harshest sentence in states without the death penalty.
• The imprisonment of political dissidents sparked international protests.