incarcerated

adjective

in·​car·​cer·​at·​ed in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce incarcerated (audio)
1
: confined in a jail or prison
Michigan law allows convicted felons to vote and run for office unless they are currently incarcerated, or if their offenses are fraud-related or constitute a breach of public trust.The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant
… whatever was needed for her programs combating domestic violence and aiding incarcerated women, ex-offenders, and their children.Peter Steinfels
Comparing the responses of incarcerated boys with nondelinquent adolescents, Scarpitti (1980) describes the three most probable identity resolutions …Judith Steven-Long et al.
2
medical, of a hernia : constricted but not strangulated
Within the incarcerated, herniated gastric cardia, there was an acute, benign gastric ulcer.Gregory J. Gallivan

Examples of incarcerated in a Sentence

incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By sharing her own journey and working to break generational cycles, Courtney is helping remove the stigma that comes with being the child of an incarcerated parent and proving that these children are not defined by their parents’ past, but empowered by the right support and community. Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025 Some incarcerated men even accused officers of sending people to the SHU to conceal their own abuses. Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 For over a year, I have been locked in one room with twenty-five other incarcerated people, sharing the same one room. Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025 The singer also dated incarcerated rapper C-Murda for some time before quietly ending their relationship, confirming their split in 2023. Essence, 2 Oct. 2025 An incarcerated woman died Monday morning at a San Mateo County Jail following a medical emergency, authorities said. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025 The nonprofit has helped nearly 3,000 families keep connections between children and an incarcerated parent through visits at jails and prisons in Miami-Dade and across Florida, Shellie Solomon, president of Children of Inmates, said in an email. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 Avner also said that some of the incarcerated women who volunteered with the meal program, who have since been released, have come back to volunteer. Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025 The California Medical Facility is the largest hospital for incarcerated people in the state. Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of incarcerated was in 1766

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Cite this Entry

“Incarcerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerated. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

incarcerated

adjective
in·​car·​cer·​at·​ed in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt-əd How to pronounce incarcerated (audio)
of a hernia
: constricted but not strangulated

More from Merriam-Webster on incarcerated

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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