incarcerate

[ verb in-kahr-suh-reyt; adjective in-kahr-ser-it, -suh-reyt ]
See synonyms for: incarcerateincarceratedincarceration on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),in·car·cer·at·ed, in·car·cer·at·ing.
  1. to enclose; constrict closely.

adjective
  1. imprisoned.

Origin of incarcerate

1
First recorded in 1520–30; from Medieval Latin incarcerātus, past participle of incarcerāre “to imprison,” equivalent to in- “in” + carcer “prison” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in-2, -ate1

Other words for incarcerate

Other words from incarcerate

  • in·car·cer·a·tion [in-kahr-suh-rey-shuhn], /ɪnˌkɑr səˈreɪ ʃən/, noun
  • in·car·cer·a·tive, adjective
  • in·car·cer·a·tor, noun
  • un·in·car·cer·at·ed, adjective

Words Nearby incarcerate

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

How to use incarcerate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for incarcerate

incarcerate

/ (ɪnˈkɑːsəˌreɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) to confine or imprison

Origin of incarcerate

1
C16: from Medieval Latin incarcerāre, from Latin in- ² + carcer prison

Derived forms of incarcerate

  • incarceration, noun
  • incarcerator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012