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
President Bukele made the offer to incarcerate deportees and prisoners from the US at the Cecot during a recent visit to the Central American nation by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2025
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
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
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
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
"I am not going to have this woman sit incarcerated for the next year or two or three," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Needless to say, losing access to care was devastating for incarcerated transgender people, who in court filings described experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation as a result of their suddenly untreated gender dysphoria.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
“You Can See Everything” has viewers reeling from its intimate look at the Theranos founder’s pre-prison life with her family—and filmmakers’ quest to reach her after she’s incarcerated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Jeffrey, who had one daughter, wrote poetry and rap lyrics with a social conscience and was involved in jailhouse ministry while he was incarcerated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
In the weeks that followed, more than 1,200 men and women were incarcerated at Camp Greyhound.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Judge David De Pas said as he delivered the verdict that "the state of health of the main protagonists ethically prohibits incarcerating anyone".
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025
“You’ve got a state that has this historical infrastructure of detaining and incarcerating people in these rural areas of Louisiana that are now emptying out and becoming available,” López said.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2025
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
“Is there a willingness to concede that incarcerating someone with dementia,” she asks, “is, maybe, questionable?”
From Scientific American ● Aug. 17, 2023
The collateral consequences of incarcerating women are significant.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
