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
In 1942, Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, which used to be the university’s men’s gymnasium, was used as a registration center for Japanese Americans in Santa Clara County before they were sent to the incarceration camps.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Permanent supportive housing has been proven through substantial research to improve health and mental health outcomes for its residents, reducing costly emergency room visits, inpatient hospitalizations and incarceration.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Wages are more likely to be stolen from vulnerable workers in the state, including undocumented workers, women of color, workers with disabilities and those reentering the workforce after incarceration.
—P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
Michelle Parris is the California director at Vera Action, a 501(c)(4) organization harnessing the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.
—Jose Bernal, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
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Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Permanent supportive housing has been proven through substantial research to improve health and mental health outcomes for its residents, reducing costly emergency room visits, inpatient hospitalizations and incarceration.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Wages are more likely to be stolen from vulnerable workers in the state, including undocumented workers, women of color, workers with disabilities and those reentering the workforce after incarceration.
—P.r. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
Michelle Parris is the California director at Vera Action, a 501(c)(4) organization harnessing the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.
—Jose Bernal, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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
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