incarceration
Americannoun
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. ); see incarcerate ( def. )
Explanation
Incarceration is the state of being in prison. If you don't fancy incarceration, don't go through with that bank heist. The noun incarceration comes from the Latin word carcer, meaning "jail." There are many different types of incarceration. If you commit a crime and get locked up, that's one form of incarceration. Some people might feel that school is a form of incarceration. Some highly religious people think of the body as an incarceration of the spirit. A great synonym for this word is captivity.
Vocabulary lists containing incarceration
Just Mercy
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They Called Us Enemy
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Turtles All the Way Down
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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.
And pretrial and posttrial diversion programs — where someone undergoes treatment in lieu of incarceration — would also need the cooperation of the court system, which the mayor does not control.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
The two share an inquisitive and child-like energy, turning heavy conversations about growing up broke, the solitude of incarceration, and desperate cries for attention, into something remarkably light.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
They are patched through to them from payphones in Evin prison via the Foreign Office, which has described their incarceration as "appalling" and "unjustifiable".
From BBC • May 1, 2026
The pair are speaking to the media together, via separate phones, for the first time since their incarceration.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
Self-hate is also part of the reason people in her neighborhood do not speak to each other about the impact of incarceration on their families and their lives.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
