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
Samantha Burgett, sheriff’s department social worker and founder of the nonprofit Community Change Center, said the center offers services pre- and post-incarceration for substance abuse issues.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
On average, detention facilities daily now hold nearly 70,000 immigrants, a scale of mass detention not seen since the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans and nationals during World War II.
—Eric Westervelt, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
Their most notable work, however, might be their partnership with The Doe Fund, a non-profit that has provided housing and employment and support services to over 15,000 people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration.
—Essence, 22 Mar. 2026
Many of the deposits preceded Epstein’s incarceration at MCC.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
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Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
On average, detention facilities daily now hold nearly 70,000 immigrants, a scale of mass detention not seen since the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans and nationals during World War II.
—Eric Westervelt, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
Their most notable work, however, might be their partnership with The Doe Fund, a non-profit that has provided housing and employment and support services to over 15,000 people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration.
—Essence, 22 Mar. 2026
Many of the deposits preceded Epstein’s incarceration at MCC.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 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 2 Apr. 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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