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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.
Examples of incarcerate in a Sentence
Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
Sirhan has been incarcerated in California for decades, and multiple requests for parole have been unsuccessful.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 7 May 2025
He was incarcerated at Alcatraz from November 1959 to July 1962.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 6 May 2025
Harnessing the Power of Dreams While all young people need to be encouraged to dream big, this is critically important to underestimated youth who are facing challenges relevant to education, recidivism reduction, and reentry for those who are or were recently incarcerated.
—Jean Eddy, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarcerate
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerate. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incarcerate
verb
Legal Definition
incarcerate
transitive verb
Latin incarceratus, past participle of incarcerare, from in- in + carcer prison
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