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

• captivity
• confinement
• immurement
• impoundment
• imprisonment
• internment
• prison

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

The changes are modeled after prison operations in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, where incarceration is considered less a tool for punishment than an opportunity for recovery and rehabilitation. —Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024

These programs are crucial for preventing crime and addressing root causes, ultimately reducing long-term costs associated with law enforcement and incarceration. —Steve Geller, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2024

On April 15, Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence of 18 months of incarceration at a New Mexico women's correctional facility. —Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 17 July 2024

All too soon, the men have changed back into their green uniforms and returned to the daily tedium and terror of incarceration. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined above

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