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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
Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
According to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, Green was convicted in 2022 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The brothers, incarcerated since their 2024 arrests, face up to life in prison.
—Peter Weber, TheWeek, 10 Mar. 2026
Authorities said Epstein died by suicide while incarcerated in Manhattan in 2019.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incarcerate
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerate. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarcerate
verb
Legal Definition
incarcerate
transitive verb
Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison
