incarcerate
Americanverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
incarceratesimple
-
incarceratessimple
-
have incarceratedperfect
-
has incarceratedperfect
-
am incarceratingprogressive
-
are incarceratingprogressive
-
is incarceratingprogressive
-
have been incarceratingperfect progressive
-
has been incarceratingperfect progressive
Past
-
incarceratedsimple
-
had incarceratedperfect
-
was incarceratingprogressive
-
were incarceratingprogressive
-
had been incarceratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incarcerate
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, -ate 1
Explanation
Use the verb incarcerate when you need to put someone behind bars in a big way, meaning, send them to prison, like those who, after being found guilty of a crime and sentenced, become incarcerated. The word incarcerate entered the English language in the sixteenth century, tracing back to the Latin word meaning “imprisoned.” If you incarcerate people, that means you imprison them for a predetermined amount of time in a jail, prison, or a detention center. It’s good to know the meaning of incarcerate, but make sure you never get so close to it that you have firsthand knowledge of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing incarcerate
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 26, 2020—January 1, 2021
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Word Generation Social Studies - Complex Questions Related to American Democracy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Hole in My Life
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Arleo, the federal judge in Newark, N.J., said she had no power to review or oversee the bankruptcy process or incarcerate individuals unless they are charged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
“We’re not going to turn our backs. We’re not going to use our jails to somehow incarcerate and criminalize people who are on the street.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2024
States that build more prisons incarcerate more people.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2024
We can’t arrest, incarcerate and punish our way out of this complex problem.
From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2024
“I see they spared no expense to incarcerate us,” I say.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
The U.S. incarcerates so many in its 1,700 prisons that it held the dubious distinction of being the world leader in incarceration for 30 years.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2024
It isn’t clear why she was serving her sentence at Hiland, which typically incarcerates state prisoners.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
Castellanos was only the eighth inmate granted compassionate release this year across a prison system that incarcerates about 95,000 people, said Mary Xjimenez, a spokeswoman for the state corrections department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
The jail historically incarcerates almost exclusively Black and Brown people and is currently more than 90 percent people of color, she said.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2023
He has a number of Indian policemen to assist him in preserving order, and a gaol in Metlakahtla, in which he incarcerates malefactors.
From Metlakahtla and the North Pacific Mission by Eugene Stock
At the time Roberts interviewed Pike, she was incarcerated for at least 23 hours a day, only let out for a one-hour walk on some days.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Allegations of Combs’ pampered incarcerated lifestyle emerged just as his release date moved up again, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
It didn’t matter that “While incarcerated, Christa worked to heal the impact of childhood abuse and neglect.”
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Earlier this year, Kao agreed to meet a ProPublica reporter at the Federal Prison Camp in Yankton, South Dakota, where he is incarcerated.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia prohibit people from voting while incarcerated for a felony offense.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Of course, the DOJ could further ease understaffing by incarcerating fewer people.
From Slate ● Jul. 5, 2025
However, research both globally and in Australia has shown that incarcerating children makes them more likely to reoffend and often has dire impacts on their health, education, and employment.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2024
County has repeatedly come under fire from the board, which oversees correctional facilities statewide, for incarcerating young people in dangerous facilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
The cost of incarcerating an unhoused person is approximately $106,000 per year — and that does not account for policing and court administration expenses.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
It would be, in effect, paying the government for incarcerating him for a month.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
