incarcerated

adjective

in·​car·​cer·​at·​ed in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce incarcerated (audio)
Synonyms of incarceratednext
1
: confined in a jail or prison
Michigan law allows convicted felons to vote and run for office unless they are currently incarcerated, or if their offenses are fraud-related or constitute a breach of public trust.The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant
… whatever was needed for her programs combating domestic violence and aiding incarcerated women, ex-offenders, and their children.Peter Steinfels
Comparing the responses of incarcerated boys with nondelinquent adolescents, Scarpitti (1980) describes the three most probable identity resolutions …Judith Steven-Long et al.
2
medical, of a hernia : constricted but not strangulated
Within the incarcerated, herniated gastric cardia, there was an acute, benign gastric ulcer.Gregory J. Gallivan

Examples of incarcerated in a Sentence

incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
State officials are investigating the death Thursday of an incarcerated man at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026 Advocates for incarcerated people say the parole process is rigorous and shouldn’t be politicized. Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026 That raises the question, will the next governor continue Newsom’s emphasis on rehabilitation for incarcerated people or move in a different direction? Adam Ashton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026 As of March 4, 280 people had been released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement from LMDC, while another 67 incarcerated people have holds, according to Collins. Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026 Darlene Edwards and Frank Sheppard remain incarcerated. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2026 The family of Cherrie Mahan, the 8-year-old girl who disappeared 41 years ago Sunday, is hoping an incarcerated man could be the key to bringing their decades-long nightmare to a close. Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026 As of November 21, 19 states have been approved for pre-release coverage for incarcerated people, and nine states are pending approval, according to the KFF. Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 20 Feb. 2026 The county in court filings has denied violating the rights of incarcerated people. Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of incarcerated was in 1766

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Cite this Entry

“Incarcerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerated. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

Medical Definition

incarcerated

adjective
in·​car·​cer·​at·​ed in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt-əd How to pronounce incarcerated (audio)
of a hernia
: constricted but not strangulated

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