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
But my incarceration now, like my glorious delusion then, cannot quell that yearning for something more.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
The mix of short-term detainees and long-haul prisoners makes SeaTac a unique microcosm of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), where courtroom drama and the gritty realities of incarceration meet under one roof.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Eulalia resumes selling sweets outside prison, and Bedoya maintains influence even from incarceration.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
August 30 Brothers in the South find their way after incarceration in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, first staged in New York in 2007 and now led by André Holland.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
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Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
The mix of short-term detainees and long-haul prisoners makes SeaTac a unique microcosm of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), where courtroom drama and the gritty realities of incarceration meet under one roof.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Eulalia resumes selling sweets outside prison, and Bedoya maintains influence even from incarceration.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
August 30 Brothers in the South find their way after incarceration in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, first staged in New York in 2007 and now led by André Holland.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 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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