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

… 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

Synonyms of incarcerated

• imprisoned
• arrested
• captive
• jailed

Examples of incarcerated in a Sentence

incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections

Recent Examples on the Web

Schnell said his department routinely communicates with ICE in the weeks before an incarcerated person's release to arrange handoffs if a detainer is in place. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

This best documentary feature nominee, now streaming on HBO Max and Hulu with certain bundles, focuses on the sudden death of Steven Davis, an incarcerated man who was beaten to death by prison guards. —Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Jan. 2026

As deaths mount, the incarcerated population discovers that collective action may be their only path to survival. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026

For us, the answers came from incarcerated men using contraband cell phones to expose shocking human rights abuses in Alabama’s fourteen prisons. —Andrew Jarecki & Charlotte Kaufman, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026

But in July 2025, the jail failed a special off-site inspection of paperwork, prompted by complaints about two incarcerated people. —Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026

Half of incarcerated people in Mississippi lack a high school diploma or its equivalent, and many only read at a sixth-grade level. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026

Advocates working with incarcerated survivors say that while hundreds of cases appear potentially eligible statewide, only a small subset meet the law’s narrow standards, and even fewer overcome barriers to filing decades later. —Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026

Today, in the large courtroom on the fifth floor of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, the incarcerated defendant was present, clothed in prison garb. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for incarcerated

• abbreviated
• accelerated
• accentuated
• accommodated
• acculturated
• accumulated
• acidulated
• adjudicated
• administrated
• adulterated
• affiliated
• agglomerated

Medical Definition

incarcerated

adjective

in·​car·​cer·​at·​ed in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt-əd 

of a hernia

: constricted but not strangulated