incarcerate

verb

in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incarcerate (audio)
incarcerated; incarcerating

transitive verb

1
: to put in prison
2
: to subject to confinement

Did you know?

Just as English is full of nouns referring to places where prisoners are confined, from the familiar (jail and prison) to the obscure (calaboose and bridewell), so we have multiple verbs for the action of putting people behind bars. Some words can be used as both nouns and verbs, if in slightly different forms: one can be jailed in a jail, imprisoned in a prison, locked up in a lockup, or even jugged in a jug. Incarcerate does not have such a noun equivalent in English—incarceration refers to the state of confinement rather than a physical structure—but it comes ultimately from the Latin noun carcer, meaning “prison.” Incarcerate is also on the formal end of the spectrum when it comes to words related to the law and criminal justice, meaning you are more likely to read or hear about someone incarcerated in a penitentiary or detention center than in the pokey or hoosegow.

Examples of incarcerate in a Sentence

the state incarcerated over 1900 people last year
Recent Examples on the Web Even incarcerated individuals can vote in states such as Maine, Vermont, the District of Columbia and the territory of Puerto Rico, according to the Justice Department. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 More:Highland Park man, 18, arrested in murder of transgender woman found in hotel Casteel remains incarcerated in the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, with his earliest release date set for Nov. 5, 2030. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Maryland incarcerates children of color at one of the highest rates in the country. Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 At Green Bay, there have been chronic issues with rodents, which some incarcerated individuals say force their way under the doors of those housed at the facility at night. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Heavy on the family drama with a dash of romance, this Brian Jun film stars John Heard and P.J. Lee as two brothers whose father is incarcerated in the aftermath of a tragic car accident. Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 Of the more than two million people held in U.S. prisons and correctional facilities, 200,000 are serving life sentences – and of these people, 40% were incarcerated by age 25. Ashoka, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The family is seeking $16 million — $1 million for every year Leonard Cure was wrongfully incarcerated for armed robbery. Char Adams, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Tapp himself was wrongfully convicted of murder and was incarcerated for 21 years in Idaho. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incarcerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- + carcer prison

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incarcerate was in 1575

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Dictionary Entries Near incarcerate

Cite this Entry

“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

incarcerate

verb
in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incarcerate (audio)
incarcerated; incarcerating
: to put in prison : confine
incarceration noun

Legal Definition

incarcerate

transitive verb
in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incarcerate (audio)
incarcerated; incarcerating
incarceration noun
Etymology

Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison

More from Merriam-Webster on incarcerate

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