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 state Division of Youth Services, under the state Department of Health, offers programs across the state that are meant to divert at-risk youths away from incarceration.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Dec. 2025
In December 2022, the musician told PEOPLE about his incarceration as a teen.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Public interest lawyer Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative to end mass incarceration, challenge racial and economic norms, and protect the civil rights of the country's most vulnerable groups.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
The federal pardon has no legal impact on her state conviction and incarceration, but the administration has been pressuring Polis and other Colorado officials to set her free.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
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Arkansas Online, 18 Dec. 2025
In December 2022, the musician told PEOPLE about his incarceration as a teen.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Public interest lawyer Bryan Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative to end mass incarceration, challenge racial and economic norms, and protect the civil rights of the country's most vulnerable groups.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
The federal pardon has no legal impact on her state conviction and incarceration, but the administration has been pressuring Polis and other Colorado officials to set her free.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 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 19 Dec. 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
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