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
Robin SteinbergTo 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
George TakeiExamples 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 county’s incarceration rate was 56% higher than the state average, fueled by people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Children who can’t read proficiently by third grade are far more likely to fall behind, drop out of high school and face worse life outcomes — from lower earnings to higher incarceration rates to shorter life expectancy.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025
The film marks the Iranian auteur’s first feature since being released from prison in Iran and was directly inspired by his incarceration.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 25 June 2025
The panel finally allowed for his eventual release in early 2020, citing his age and decades of incarceration, after the trial’s lead prosecutor, Anthony Raccuglia, who long urged the board to keep Weger behind bars, died months earlier at 85.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Children who can’t read proficiently by third grade are far more likely to fall behind, drop out of high school and face worse life outcomes — from lower earnings to higher incarceration rates to shorter life expectancy.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025
The film marks the Iranian auteur’s first feature since being released from prison in Iran and was directly inspired by his incarceration.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 25 June 2025
The panel finally allowed for his eventual release in early 2020, citing his age and decades of incarceration, after the trial’s lead prosecutor, Anthony Raccuglia, who long urged the board to keep Weger behind bars, died months earlier at 85.
—Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share