incarcerated 1 of 2

adjective

in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce incarcerated (audio)
Definition of incarceratednext
as in imprisoned
taken and held prisoner incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

incarcerated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of incarcerate
as in jailed
to put in or as if in prison the state incarcerated over 1900 people last year

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incarcerated
Adjective
Grayson filed for release under the Joe Coleman Act, which applies to incarcerated people who are terminally ill or medically incapacitated. — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026 Formerly incarcerated people are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public, according to The Prison Policy Initiative. — Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Verb
This locks out the very populations- people who inject drugs, incarcerated people and Medicaid beneficiaries- who carry most of the disease burden. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Letby has been incarcerated at HMP Low Newton in Durham, England, since her conviction in 2023. — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incarcerated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incarcerated
  1. imprisoned
  2. jailed
  3. captive
  4. interned
Adjective
  • Last year, the PKK — considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies — announced its decision to disband, following a call by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The move came in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of imprisoned
Verb
  • In 2020, she was jailed for taking part in an anti-police brutality protest near the Kremlin with Pussy Riot, clad in their synonymous pink balaclavas.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The divorced father of two was jailed for a minimum of eight hours under Florida law before being released on bail.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of jailed
Adjective
  • Insurers as a captive funding source for a broader financial empire is now a mainstream private-credit playbook, and the SEC probe is effectively its first stress-test if existing rules can catch it before it’s brought into public view.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The reptile dealers need to be more conscientious, and there needs to be more captive breeding.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of captive
Verb
  • Black Americans were struggling against the legacy of Jim Crow, and Abdeen interned with Ernest Goodman, a civil-rights lawyer who was reviving the National Lawyers Guild, a collective of progressive legal professionals.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • During her collegiate studies, Jones actually interned for NBC 5 back during the summer of 2022.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of interned

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Cite this Entry

“Incarcerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incarcerated. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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