incarceration
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
According to a report by the InSight Crime think tank, Guerrero made Tren de Aragua "what it is today during his incarceration at Tocoron."
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
My subject area is U.S. history—the built environment, public memory, the American South, and more recently the history of mass incarceration.
From Slate • May 27, 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
Scotland - which along with other parts of Britain has one of the highest incarceration rates in Europe - has approved several emergency measures in recent years in a bid to cut prisoner numbers.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
A visitor could con-template, with more perspective than any prison employee, the effects of incarceration and the prospects of life after it.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
