French Conversation · Level 154
30 words
French word
interner
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛ̃tɛʁne/
Meaning
- verbimprison
Example
Pendant la guerre, ils ont interné des opposants politiques.
During the war, they imprisoned political opponents.
More examples
Le médecin a dû interner le patient pour observation.
The doctor had to hospitalize the patient for observation.
Core concept
A person behind the doors of a closed institution, unable to leave after an official decision.
Common phrases
interner quelqu'un
incarcerate someone
interner un patient
hospitalize a patient
Similar words
arrêter: Take someone into custody through official authority.
détenir: Keep someone in temporary custody while restricting their freedom.
emprisonner: Send someone to prison and deprive them of their freedom.
hospitaliser: Admit someone to a hospital for medical care.
Definition in French
Mettre une personne en détention ou l'hospitaliser de force dans un établissement fermé, la privant de sa liberté pour des motifs administratifs, politiques ou médicaux.
Word origin
French interner derives from interne, ultimately from Latin internus, 'inside', with -er forming a verb for confining someone in an institution.
Usage tips
- French interner does not mean to place someone in an internship; it means to confine someone, often for legal or medical reasons.
Other meanings
- internverb
- hospitalizeverb
Opposites
- libérerreleaseverb
Related words
- internementinternmentnoun
- internéinternedadjective