impound

American  

[im-pound, im-pound] / ɪmˈpaʊnd, ˈɪm paʊnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to shut up in a pound or other enclosure, as a stray animal.

2. to confine within an enclosure or within limits.

   water impounded in a reservoir.

3. to seize and retain in custody of the law, as a document for evidence.

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noun

1. money, property, etc., that has been impounded.

   a sale of impounds by the police department.

impound British  

/ ɪmˈpaʊnd /

verb

1. to confine (stray animals, illegally parked cars, etc) in a pound

2. 1. to seize (chattels, etc) by legal right

   2. to take possession of (a document, evidence, etc) and hold in legal custody

3. to collect (water) in a reservoir or dam, as for irrigation

4. to seize or appropriate

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Other Word Forms

• impoundable adjective
• impoundage noun
• impounder noun
• unimpounded adjective

Etymology

Origin of impound

First recorded in 1545–55; im- ³ + pound ³

Explanation

To impound something is to legally take it away from its owner. The police might impound your car if you were parked in front of a fire hydrant. Sometimes a city will impound a driver's car after they've accumulated many unpaid parking tickets. Another reason to impound someone's vehicle is because they haven't been making their loan payments — in a case like this, the bank that holds the loan might impound the car. A second meaning of impound is to shut an animal inside an enclosure or pound.

Example Sentences

After Spivey’s truck arrived at the police impound lot, Jones pointed out a compartment concealed in the back seat and asked Tamasi to open it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

“One of my clients was trying to get his car back, and that was costing, I think, around $4,000 because there’s a $1,200 impound fee plus $600 per day that they held it,” said Goldman.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

Our mortgage and impound account is about $2,450 a month on this property.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

Congress, Ali explained, stated that the funds in question “shall be made available in the amounts specifically designated,” a directive that left the executive branch no discretion to impound them.

From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025

Now there were fees to pay to get his car out of impound.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

Related Words

• imprison
• seize