Wordwyrt

imprisonment

/ˌɪmˈpɹɪzənmənt/im-PRIH-zuhn-muhnt
/ˌɪmˈpɹɪzənmənt/im-PRIH-zuhn-muhnt

Meaningthe state of being imprisoned

Common meaning: being kept in prison

Journey through time

  1. Old Frenchemprisonner‘to imprison’source
  2. Middle Englishenprisonen‘imprison’source
  3. Englishimprison‘confine in a prison’
  4. Englishformed in English from imprisonimprisonment‘being kept in prison’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from imprison + -ment.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), IMPRISON, p.285 · scan

Source words

  • emprisonner Old French · source word “to imprison”

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