incarceration

noun

(ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce incarceration (audio)
Definition of incarcerationnext
1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined he was bored and frustrated by his incarceration in the quarantine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody sentenced to six months of incarceration for dealing in narcotics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 incarceration Rinsch is set to surrender to authorities for his incarceration on September 1. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 June 2026 Under a law passed in Georgia last year called the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act, a person whose conviction is later vacated can be awarded $75,000 for every year of incarceration. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 The availability of such medications in jail can improve mortality and health outcomes both during incarceration and after release. — Hannah Harris Green, STAT, 26 June 2026 The cost to taxpayers of his lifelong imprisonment is an average of $100 per day, according to the Idaho Department of Correction, or roughly $36,500 per year — so far totaling about $33,800 from less than a year of Kohberger’s incarceration. — Kevin Fixler june 26, Idaho Statesman, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incarceration
  1. captivity
  2. imprisonment
  3. internment
  4. detention
  5. prison
  6. confinement
Noun
  • When the Spanish settlers decamped for Cuba in 1763 after ceding Florida to the English, the few surviving Tequesta, their numbers decimated by 200 years of captivity and slavery, conflict and ill treatment, are believed to have departed with them.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
  • Today, 160 servicemembers were released from captivity.
    — Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • Renner was charged with second-degree manslaughter and Seymore with unlawful imprisonment, among other charges.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • The Budapest Metropolitan Court on Thursday found the man guilty of murder and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
    — Associate Press, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • But the vastly different conditions under which these objects were produced—at an internment camp and a Pennsylvania estate—expose the striated reality behind that iconography.
    — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026
  • During the special, Klepper travels to a peaceful nude bike rally against ICE internment camps holding people without due process.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 June 2026
Definition of internment
Noun
  • At least one congressional representative was critical of the incident — for reasons other than the detention.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Nationally, as of April, 71% of people held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of detention
Noun
  • The data, compiled by ICE and processed by a UC Berkeley Law School initiative, sheds light on how the agency has operated in Sacramento, where dozens of arrests have taken place downtown and through administrative transfers at prisons.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • One of them, a 25-year-old Antioch man, is serving a prison sentence in an unrelated Walnut Creek shooting.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
Definition of prison
Noun
  • The couple cited the COVID-19 confinement as having a negative impact on their relationship.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026
  • His public defender says Bonheur should get home confinement… for running a $7-million racket.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of confinement

Browse Nearby Words

incarcerating
incarceration
incarcerations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incarceration. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on incarceration

Nglish: Translation of incarceration for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All