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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
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025
While incarcerated, Etoria had earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and worked toward a master’s in divinity.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
There’s long been interest in those accused of heinous crimes — serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer famously received numerous letters from fans while incarcerated.
—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Alston has been incarcerated for 28 years.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarcerate
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerate. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarcerate
verb
Legal Definition
incarcerate
transitive verb
Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison
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