To save this word, you'll need to log in.
in·car·cer·a·tion | \ (ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 
\
\ plural incarcerations
Definition of incarceration
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for incarceration
incarceration
nounin·car·cer·a·tion | \ in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən \
\Medical Definition of incarceration
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
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on incarceration
What made you want to look up incarceration? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share incarceration
Time Traveler for incarceration
The first known use of incarceration was circa 1540
See more words from the same year