imprisonmentim‧pris‧on‧ment /ɪmˈprɪzənmənt/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
They were sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment. life imprisonment
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Garrison faces life imprisonment for his role in the killings.
- Johnson was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for causing a riot.
- Many women believe that the punishment for rape should be life imprisonment.
- The offence is punishable by either a fine or imprisonment.
- A 19 year old female student from Bath University was charged by Essex police with unlawful imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm.
- At his lowest ebb, Macari was threatened with imprisonment and his wife rang friends to secure bail money of £50,000.
- Debt burdens nearly always bring with them a sense of imprisonment.
- In 1922 Hannington received his first term of a month's imprisonment for uttering seditious words.
- On 3 April he was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.
- Since his imprisonment, her son has been denied telephone contact with his family, she said.
- Spanswick was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years with a supervision order attached.
- The court itself took the point that the committal was invalid and quashed a sentence of 18 months' imprisonment.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you are forced to stay somewhere
if someone who the police think is guilty of a crime is in custody , they are kept in prison until it is time for them to be judged in a court: · Parry was in custody for a month before being released.be in police custody (=in a police station): · The activist died under suspicious circumstances while he was in police custody.be remanded in custody (=be sent back to prison from a court until your trial): · Three men and a woman have been remanded in custody on fraud charges.
if someone is under arrest , the police are keeping them guarded because they think they are guilty of a crime: · He's under arrest and may only be seen by his lawyer.be under house arrest (=not be allowed to leave your home): · The opposition leader has been under house arrest for the past few months.
when someone is being forced to stay in a place where they do not want to be - use this when this situation is illegal or wrong: · In his autobiography, Mandela describes his life during captivity.in captivity: · The hostages are now entering their fourth week in captivity.
when someone is being kept as a prisoner, especially as a punishment for a crime: · Johnson was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for causing a riot.· The offence is punishable by either a fine or imprisonment.life imprisonment (=for the rest of someone's life): · Garrison faces life imprisonment for his role in the killings.
when someone is being kept somewhere by the police, usually because they think that person has done something illegal and they want to ask them questions: · By the 1920s the average period of detention for new immigrants lasted two weeks.· A dissident, recently released from detention, gave a press conference in the capital today.in detention: · About a dozen people remain in detention without trial.take somebody into detention: · They were taken into detention two weeks ago and still are not allowed visitors.detention center (=a place where someone is kept by the police): · There was another riot at the men's detention center yesterday.juvenile detention (=a place that is like a prison for young people) American: · He was in and out of juvenile detention for drugs charges as a teenager.
when someone is being kept in a room, prison etc: · He was sentenced to 5 months of home confinement for the crime.solitary confinement (=the state of being kept completely alone): · Prisoners are punished by being put in solitary confinement.
when someone is kept in a place they do not want to be in · In his book, he describes what life was like during his long captivity.in captivity · The industrialist, who was captured on November 24th, was freed after 84 days in captivity.be held/kept in captivity · Folkes says that he was held in captivity for over a year.
the state of being kept as a prisoner, especially as punishment for a crime: · Johnson was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for causing a riot.life imprisonment: · Many women believe that the punishment for rape should be life imprisonment.
especially British when someone is kept in a place such as a prison because they may have done something illegal: · Cases of detention without trial were common in the last century.· Ormerod, aged 19, was sentenced to nine months' detention for possessing and supplying cannabis.be held/kept in detention: · Marik, who had been held in detention for over a year, was eventually found not guilty.release somebody from detention: · Mrs Davis was released from detention yesterday and all charges have been dropped.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY life imprisonmentCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
life imprisonment· She was sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The rest included allegations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and loss of property.· Lombardy was stopped and arrested on suspicion of rape by force; rape with a foreign object and false imprisonment.· Was recently awarded £30,000 damages against Thames Valley Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.· If anyone prevents you from doing so, you can sue for false imprisonment.· But she was spared from that ordeal when Anthony Bourgois pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and carrying a knife.· The boy admitted false imprisonment and wounding.· An action of damages may be brought for false imprisonment. 3.· He denies false imprisonment, assault and blackmail.
· But this is a case where long imprisonment is needed not just as a punishment, but to protect society.· Remarkably, he was able to evade long term imprisonment, and made his way to the West.
· In the armed services homosexuality is still punishable by imprisonment.
· The law says 16 years' wrongful imprisonment for murder is worth £100,000 damages.· Now he is being tried for kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment and bodily injury.
NOUN· I mentioned the sentence of life imprisonment and the unlimited fines that are available for crimes involving knives.· I think life imprisonment with hard labor is really important.· The changes also included reducing the sentence for security offences from life imprisonment to 10 years.· Capital prosecutions are hideously expensive; life imprisonment is cheaper and just as effective.· He appeared once more and was then kept in suspense for months.The Pope eventually decided on life imprisonment.· The military tribunal had condemned six other officers to life imprisonment.· In December it was announced that 11 prisoners had been given the death sentence, commuted to life imprisonment.· Phan Chu Trinh was sentenced to life imprisonment.
VERB· He insisted their sentence should be commuted to life imprisonment.
· They faced life imprisonment if convicted.· If convicted, Kordic faces up to life imprisonment.· They're warning that traders selling illegal copies face heavy fines and imprisonment.· If convicted, he faces life imprisonment and a $ 12 million fine.· Gen Krstic faces life imprisonment if the final verdict, due in the first half of next year, is guilty.
· Serfaty was sentenced to life imprisonment.· She was sentenced to three months imprisonment and a dishonorable discharge.· Spanswick was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years with a supervision order attached.· Seale was found guilty on sixteen counts of contempt and sentenced to four years imprisonment by the judge sitting without a jury.· Calley, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, was eventually paroled after having served only three years.· McEvoy was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.· He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Mr Justice Jowitt.· Instead, he complained, he had been brought to court, fined, whipped and sentenced to two months imprisonment.
· Several young whites are already serving terms of imprisonment for refusing to serve.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- An action of damages may be brought for false imprisonment. 3.
- But she was spared from that ordeal when Anthony Bourgois pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and carrying a knife.
- He denies false imprisonment, assault and blackmail.
- If anyone prevents you from doing so, you can sue for false imprisonment.
- Lombardy was stopped and arrested on suspicion of rape by force; rape with a foreign object and false imprisonment.
- The boy admitted false imprisonment and wounding.
- The rest included allegations of wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and loss of property.
- Was recently awarded £30,000 damages against Thames Valley Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.
- All claims by the employee, whether they be for unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal or redundancy are claims against the vendor.
- Every wrongful imprisonment could lead to a civil lawsuit against the city.
- He issued a writ claiming damages for wrongful dismissal.
- Now he is being tried for kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment and bodily injury.
- One point to clear up immediately is the widespread confusion between wrongful dismissal and unfair dismissal.
- So the trial led to the wrongful conviction of Al-Megrahi and the final betrayal of the bereaved families.
- The city is facing many claims for wrongful arrest, totalling millions of dollars.
- What do you stand to gain in a wrongful dismissal case?
WORD FAMILYnounprisonprisonerimprisonmentadjectiveimprisonableverbimprison
the state of being in prison, or the time someone spends there: They were sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment. life imprisonment