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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
Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Over time, Frank’s writings and likeness have inspired comparisons to the siege of civilians during the Balkan wars, the events of the Rwandan genocide, and the suffering of political prisoners incarcerated in Apartheid-era South Africa.
—Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The doctor has maintained his innocence but was convicted and incarcerated.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Sep. 2025
Dadiomov also said the way these drugs are used among people who are incarcerated is different because of the setting.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 25 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 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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