Imprisonment in law is the specific state of being physically incarcerated or confined in an institutional setting such as a prison. When it comes to issues involving a so-called indeterminate sentence, the specific amount of days or months that had to be served in prison make up the official term of imprisonment.

What does it mean when someone is imprisoned?

To imprison is to hold someone in a prison or jail. It can also mean to confine them elsewhere. ... Cops imprison suspects who can't make bail, and someone could be imprisoned for a long time if convicted of a serious crime.

Does imprisoned mean trapped?

If someone is imprisoned, they are locked up or kept somewhere, usually in prison, as a punishment for a crime or for political opposition. He was imprisoned for 18 months on charges of theft. Synonyms: jail, confine, detain, lock up More Synonyms of imprison.