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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
Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
The series, made by Adolescence producer Warp Films, follows Matthew Gurney as a Deaf man returning to society after ten years incarcerated.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
Seeking punishment for a pre-existing (probably Oedipal) feeling of shame and inadequacy, some of the incarcerated seek a reality that fits their self-identity.
—Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Saieed said the kids’ father has been incarcerated since May.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 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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