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

To 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

Synonyms of incarceration

• captivity
• internment
• imprisonment
• prison
• confinement

Examples 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

Strengthening basic social services, such as access to food, clothing, and employment training, would also address the underlying conditions that often lead to crisis, reducing the need for emergency room visits, incarceration, and hospitalization. —Sakeena Trice, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

This innovative approach allows defendants to opt for treatment instead of traditional incarceration, with necessary incentives to encourage their choice. —Mike Hestrin, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026

There are many of us survivors on the streets and in California’s jails and prisons who’ve been presented with little opportunity beyond incarceration or death. —Claudia Gonzalez, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

The repercussions of contempt charges loomed large, given the possibility of a substantial fine and even incarceration. —Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incarceration

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Medical 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