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
Some of the factors include time served in prison, their education level before and during incarceration, and the gravity of the offense.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
In addition to exercising and working as a custodian, Chris has corresponded with multiple women during his incarceration.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Unlike jails, which are designed for short-term incarceration of people who have not been convicted of crimes, prisons like Miami have programs that allow inmates to obtain college degrees, receive vocational training and gain work experience.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
In fact, threatening to release any criminal will never ring the alarm because this state has spent a lot of resources persuading the public that jail is bad for humanity, and criminals need support not incarceration.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
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Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
In addition to exercising and working as a custodian, Chris has corresponded with multiple women during his incarceration.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Unlike jails, which are designed for short-term incarceration of people who have not been convicted of crimes, prisons like Miami have programs that allow inmates to obtain college degrees, receive vocational training and gain work experience.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
In fact, threatening to release any criminal will never ring the alarm because this state has spent a lot of resources persuading the public that jail is bad for humanity, and criminals need support not incarceration.
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 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 22 Aug. 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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