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Carceral is a member of a small but imposing family: like its close relations incarcerate (meaning "to imprison") and incarceration (meaning "confinement in a jail or prison"), its ultimate source is the Latin word for "prison," carcer. All three words have been in use since the 16th century, and all three are more common today than they were a century ago. Carceral has always been the rarest of the group, but its use has increased significantly since the turn of the current century, most often within academic or legal contexts.
Examples of carceral in a Sentence
Tom Chiodo, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Unfortunately Governor Lee has overseen significant expansion of the carceral state, while hoarding TN tax dollars and reducing services and support for Tennesseans.
—The Tennessean, 1 Aug. 2024
Though there are a few federal and state prisons for those convicted of serious crimes scattered across the county, the Southland’s claim to carceral fame lies more in its jails.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
My fellow West Coast native is one of the carceral state’s most important critics.
—Mitchell S. Jackson, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near carceral
Cite this Entry
“Carceral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carceral. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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