禁锢是古代中国的一种刑罚，一般情况下，与监禁同义。

但是对于犯罪官吏的话，就是本人终身禁止做官，有时也会罪及门生、故人、亲戚。属于资格刑，它剥夺犯罪人的政治权利。早在《左传》中就有禁锢的记载，秦时称为“籍门”，《秦简·除吏律》把禁锢的人称为“废官”。从汉至隋，禁锢都作为赃物罪的附加罪而存在。隋唐以后，律典中不复有“禁锢”之文，但经常有诏令行用。明、清有“永不叙用”，相当于禁锢。

****、中华人民共和国没有类似的刑罚，而「禁锢」一词今日只表示「监禁」，已渐渐应用于暴力罪案，如非法禁锢。

Imprisonment (from imprison Old French, French emprisonner, from en in + prison prison, from Latin prensio, arrest, from prehendere, prendere, to seize) is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessarily imply a place of confinement, with bolts and bars, but may be exercised by any use or display of force, lawfully or unlawfully, wherever displayed, even in the open street. A man becomes a prisoner, wherever he may be, by the mere word or touch of a duly authorized officer directed to that end. Usually, however, imprisonment is understood to imply an actual confinement in a jail or prison employed for the purpose according to the provisions of law.