incarceration
noun
in·car·cer·a·tion
(ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən 
plural incarcerations
: confinement in a jail or prison : the act of imprisoning someone or the state of being imprisoned
Despite the drop in crime in past decades, rates of arrest and incarceration in New York City have not gone down.—
Robin Steinberg
Robin SteinbergTo this day, the Supreme Court has not overruled its infamous Korematsu opinion of 1944, which validated our mass incarceration in deference to national security.—George Takei
George TakeiSynonyms
Examples of incarceration in a Sentence
he was bored and frustrated by his incarceration in the quarantine
sentenced to six months of incarceration for dealing in narcotics
Recent Examples on the Web
Williams had history of mental health disorders Williams, a Chicago native, had a history of mental health struggles before his incarceration.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
In the last few decades, women’s incarceration has grown at twice the rate of men.
—TIME, 9 May 2024
There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 7 May 2024
The judge did warn Trump last time that future violations could mean incarceration, jail time.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
In 1859, the Old Lahaina Courthouse was built to serve two purposes: a customs house for whaling and commercial ships, and a center for governmental business, court affairs and incarceration.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024
One of Wun follows up last June’s A Gift & a Curse, which marked his comeback from his seven-month incarceration in the YSL indictment.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
The exhibit features works from some 80 artists from around the world addressing incarceration, its impact on people and society, and alternatives to the prison system.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
No one predicted Trump would be forced to serve an incarceration sentence before his appeal ran out.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 10 May 2024
In the last few decades, women’s incarceration has grown at twice the rate of men.
—TIME, 9 May 2024
There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 7 May 2024
The judge did warn Trump last time that future violations could mean incarceration, jail time.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024
In 1859, the Old Lahaina Courthouse was built to serve two purposes: a customs house for whaling and commercial ships, and a center for governmental business, court affairs and incarceration.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024
One of Wun follows up last June’s A Gift & a Curse, which marked his comeback from his seven-month incarceration in the YSL indictment.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
The exhibit features works from some 80 artists from around the world addressing incarceration, its impact on people and society, and alternatives to the prison system.
—Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
No one predicted Trump would be forced to serve an incarceration sentence before his appeal ran out.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incarceration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near incarceration
Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
incarceration
noun
in·car·cer·a·tion
in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən
1
: a confining or state of being confined
2
: abnormal retention or confinement of a body part
specifically
: a constriction of the neck of a hernial sac so that the hernial contents become irreducible
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