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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
Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
He had been incarcerated since November 2025, and was awaiting trial, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
Too many people with mental illness and substance use disorders are incarcerated when treatment would be more effective.
—Justyna Rzewinski, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026
One of the three prior arrestees, Ruben Larios Lopez, has since been incarcerated in state prison; until now, Kim had eluded capture.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for incarcerate
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerate. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarcerate
verb
Legal Definition
incarcerate
transitive verb
Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison
