incarcerate
Americanverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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incarceratesimple
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incarceratessimple
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have incarceratedperfect
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has incarceratedperfect
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am incarceratingprogressive
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are incarceratingprogressive
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is incarceratingprogressive
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have been incarceratingperfect progressive
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has been incarceratingperfect progressive
Past
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incarceratedsimple
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had incarceratedperfect
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was incarceratingprogressive
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were incarceratingprogressive
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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
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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
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
“But look at the past 50 years and you see we cannot incarcerate our way to a solution.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2023
“I see they spared no expense to incarcerate us,” I say.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
The West Virginia corrections department incarcerates about 10,000 people on a typical day, while the federal system houses more than 150,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2025
Those numbers, however, don't amount to much in the grand scheme, given the rate at which Louisiana "incarcerates and prosecutes and entangles people in the criminal legal system left and right every day," Romero said.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2024
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
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 Stock, Eugene
Louisiana established its fund in 2005 and today is one of 39 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that compensate the wrongfully incarcerated.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
Research studies have shown that children of incarcerated parents are more likely to experience mental health challenges and develop antisocial behaviors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Rivera was just one of a number of former inmates I spoke with whose stories illuminated just how impactful a digital footprint is for the formerly incarcerated.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
A decision has not yet been issued, meaning Combs will remain incarcerated while the appeal moves forward.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Lastly, prison is hardly a cheap solution: it costs about $25,000 a year to keep someone incarcerated.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
"If you're going to ban smacking effectively, are we going to band grounding children because you're taking away the freedom? You're incarcerating children."
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Of course, the DOJ could further ease understaffing by incarcerating fewer people.
From Slate ● Jul. 5, 2025
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
“Is there a willingness to concede that incarcerating someone with dementia,” she asks, “is, maybe, questionable?”
From Scientific American ● Aug. 17, 2023
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.
