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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
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Officials reinforced stay-at-home orders by erecting fences around some apartment buildings, essentially incarcerating occupants.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Ben Moore, the company’s other co-founder and Drue’s cousin, previously was incarcerated in Colorado after being found in contempt during divorce proceedings with his now ex-wife, who accused him of hiding millions of dollars of marital assets related to Winthrop Intelligence.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Combs is now incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey, a federal facility located on a military base about 40 miles outside Philadelphia.
—Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarcerate
verb
Legal Definition
incarcerate
transitive verb
Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison
