carceral

[ kahr-suh-ruhl ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to prison or imprisonment, or to other formal methods of social control: This book is a blueprint for policymakers to reform practices and for concerned citizens to understand our changing carceral landscape.Critics claim that these policies could result in an expanding carceral state.

Origin of carceral

1
First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin carcerālis, equivalent to carcer “prison” + -ālis -al1

Words Nearby carceral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024