incarcerate

verb

in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt 

incarcerated; incarcerating

transitive verb

1

: to put in prison

2

: to subject to confinement

Did you know?

Just as English is full of nouns referring to places where prisoners are confined, from the familiar (jail and prison) to the obscure (calaboose and bridewell), so we have multiple verbs for the action of putting people behind bars. Some words can be used as both nouns and verbs, if in slightly different forms: one can be jailed in a jail, imprisoned in a prison, locked up in a lockup, or even jugged in a jug. Incarcerate does not have such a noun equivalent in English—incarceration refers to the state of confinement rather than a physical structure—but it comes ultimately from the Latin noun carcer, meaning “prison.” Incarcerate is also on the formal end of the spectrum when it comes to words related to the law and criminal justice, meaning you are more likely to read or hear about someone incarcerated in a penitentiary or detention center than in the pokey or hoosegow.

Synonyms

• commit
• confine
• immure
• imprison
• intern
• jail
• jug
• lock (up)

Examples of incarcerate in a Sentence

the state incarcerated over 1900 people last year

Recent Examples on the Web

Clarence Maclin for 'Sing Sing' Acting newcomer Maclin, who was formerly incarcerated, plays a version of himself in the remarkable true story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theater program, held at high security prisons. —Eric Andersson, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025

In December, the BOP settled a civil lawsuit brought by 103 women who were incarcerated at FCI Dublin in the amount of $116 million. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

In 2015, Ulbricht was handed a life sentence for his involvement in the enterprise and is currently incarcerated at a high-security penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona. —Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025

Environmental factors, like growing up with substance use and mental health problems, instability due to a household member being incarcerated or growing up in a household with parental separation, can also impact children’s brain development and decision-making. —Rachel Hale, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- + carcer prison

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

incarcerate

verb

in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt 

incarcerated; incarcerating

: to put in prison : confine

incarceration

(ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

incarcerate

transitive verb

in·​car·​cer·​ate in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt 

incarcerated; incarcerating

: imprison

incarceration

in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Etymology

Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison