incarceration

American  

[in-kahr-suh-rey-shuhn] / ɪnˌkɑr səˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of incarcerating, or putting in prison or another enclosure.

   The rate of incarceration has increased dramatically.

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Etymology

Origin of incarceration

First recorded in 1530–40; from French incarcération, from Latin incarcerātiōn-, stem of incarcerātiō, equivalent to incarcerāt(us), past participle of incarcerāre “to imprison” + -iō -ion ( def. ); incarcerate ( def. )

Example Sentences

Traditional incarceration, a lock-’em-up and watch-them-suffer approach, has dramatically failed not only our communities and public safety writ large, but also inmates and even those who guard them.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Adapted from European models, it’s a vision of incarceration that is meant to deal with the reality that 95% of people who go to prison are eventually released.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Desperate to escape the confinement of her home life, Dilara becomes drawn to these women, and “The Renovation” delves further into the themes of emigration, amnesia and incarceration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Scotland - which along with other parts of Britain has one of the highest incarceration rates in Europe - has announced several emergency measures in recent years in a bid to cut its prison population.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Charlie's grandmother had died a few months after she first called me, and his mother was still struggling after the tragedy of the shooting and Charlie's incarceration.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• captivity
• confinement