incarcerated
adjective
in·car·cer·at·ed
in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrā-təd 
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
The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant… whatever was needed for her programs combating domestic violence and aiding incarcerated women, ex-offenders, and their children.—Peter Steinfels
Peter SteinfelsComparing the responses of incarcerated boys with nondelinquent adolescents, Scarpitti (1980) describes the three most probable identity resolutions …—Judith Steven-Long et al.
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
Gregory J. GallivanExamples of incarcerated in a Sentence
incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections
Recent Examples on the Web
As the Netflix series often attempted to bring light to the real mistreatment faced by incarcerated people, Poussey’s death at the hands of a police officer who suffocated her was intended to shed light on the real police brutality Black inmates in particular face.
—Catherine Mhloyi, Them., 29 Oct. 2025
The president also pardoned incarcerated reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022 after swindling $36 million out of banks in the Atlanta area.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Elena Bardin, 28, was arrested in April after police accused the married mother of molesting an incarcerated teen at the Adair Juvenile Detention Center — and then asking the boy to murder her 49-year-old husband.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Bail reform and broader use of cite-and-release policies would reduce the number of incarcerated people, and thereby lower the number of in-custody deaths, the study said.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Pell Grants, the federal funding many low-income students depend on to pursue college degrees, were extended to incarcerated students in 1965.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Tom needs to forgive his incarcerated son, and Grasso needs to forgive himself.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
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
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Catherine Mhloyi, Them., 29 Oct. 2025
The president also pardoned incarcerated reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022 after swindling $36 million out of banks in the Atlanta area.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Elena Bardin, 28, was arrested in April after police accused the married mother of molesting an incarcerated teen at the Adair Juvenile Detention Center — and then asking the boy to murder her 49-year-old husband.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Bail reform and broader use of cite-and-release policies would reduce the number of incarcerated people, and thereby lower the number of in-custody deaths, the study said.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Pell Grants, the federal funding many low-income students depend on to pursue college degrees, were extended to incarcerated students in 1965.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Tom needs to forgive his incarcerated son, and Grasso needs to forgive himself.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerated. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
incarcerated
adjective
in·car·cer·at·ed
in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt-əd
of a hernia
: constricted but not strangulated
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