incarceration

noun

in·​car·​cer·​a·​tion (ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 

plural incarcerations

: confinement in a jail or prison : the act of imprisoning someone or the state of being imprisoned

Despite the drop in crime in past decades, rates of arrest and incarceration in New York City have not gone down.

—Robin Steinberg

To this day, the Supreme Court has not overruled its infamous Korematsu opinion of 1944, which validated our mass incarceration in deference to national security.

—George Takei

Synonyms of incarceration

• captivity
• internment
• imprisonment
• prison
• confinement

Examples of incarceration in a Sentence

he was bored and frustrated by his incarceration in the quarantine

sentenced to six months of incarceration for dealing in narcotics

Recent Examples on the Web

This hotel marks its return to Sydney, from its previous incarceration on Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

Unlike Connecticut, most states don’t charge prisoners for the full cost of their incarceration. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026

Between his 13-year incarceration and his decision to navigate the music industry as an independent artist, Kartel’s trajectory is very different from Shaggy’s. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026

Thompson was sentenced to 95 years and 6 months in prison, which will result in 50 years and 6 months of active incarceration. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incarceration

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Medical Definition

incarceration

noun

in·​car·​cer·​a·​tion in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: a confining or state of being confined

2

: abnormal retention or confinement of a body part

specifically : a constriction of the neck of a hernial sac so that the hernial contents become irreducible