incarceration

[ in-kahr-suh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

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

   The rate of incarceration has increased dramatically.

Word History and Origins

Origin of incarceration¹

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

It wasn’t hard for them to see a future marked by failure, violence, and maybe incarceration.

From Washington Post

The state is spending a lot less money on incarceration rates and spending more money on rehab centers.

From Ozy

Joel Caston has filled many roles during his 26 years of incarceration, from youth mentor to published author to financial literacy instructor for his fellow inmates.

From Washington Post

Discretion in drug enforcement and sentencing means prohibition is among the leading causes of incarceration of people of color in the United States – an injustice many Americans on both sides of the aisle increasingly recognize.

From No Straight News

Interior design is a concept not often associated with the criminal justice system, but a growing number of architects and designers believe it could play a vital role in addressing mass incarceration and inequity.

From Fortune

I also want to alert you to the broader circumstances of my incarceration.

From The Daily Beast

Shortly thereafter, T.I. lent his first post-incarceration verse to a remix of “Magic.”

From The Daily Beast

Even when financial facilitators are arrested, incarceration is brief.

From The Daily Beast

These crimes of fashion proved the men were feminine and thus gay and therefore worthy of incarceration.

From The Daily Beast

Before my decade of incarceration, I had never seen a dead body.

From The Daily Beast

This patient's incarceration in the asylum was due to a very striking manifestation of his paranoia querulans.

From Project Gutenberg

He had been a bheestee (water carrier) to the house of Ramabai up to the young banker's incarceration.

From Project Gutenberg

We stumbled down the jail stairway up which, three months before, we had been conducted to our long incarceration in the cage.

From Project Gutenberg

At first I imagined that my laundress had permitted some stranger to occupy my rooms during my incarceration.

From Project Gutenberg

The following night, the annoyance, which had ceased during her incarceration, recommenced with double fury.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• captivity
• confinement