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 TakeiExamples 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
In many cases, being in the country without authorization is a civil offense and would typically be punishable by removal instead of incarceration.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
This is particularly true of Black people with disabilities, as they are disproportionately pushed out of school, disciplined more harshly, targeted for incarceration and marginalized in disability representation and research.
—Lauren Shallish, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
When people are not able to access jobs, either because of their immigration status or gender identity, people have to resort to the street economy to survive – which can also lead to incarceration, Salcedo said.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
Brothers Keith and Kenny Lucas begin On Drugs by declaring war on Richard Nixon, who, in 1971, declared a war on drugs, leading to the incarceration of millions, disproportionately impacting Black Americans, including members of the identical twins’ own family.
—Will Digravio, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025
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Armando Garcia, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2025
This is particularly true of Black people with disabilities, as they are disproportionately pushed out of school, disciplined more harshly, targeted for incarceration and marginalized in disability representation and research.
—Lauren Shallish, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
When people are not able to access jobs, either because of their immigration status or gender identity, people have to resort to the street economy to survive – which can also lead to incarceration, Salcedo said.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
Brothers Keith and Kenny Lucas begin On Drugs by declaring war on Richard Nixon, who, in 1971, declared a war on drugs, leading to the incarceration of millions, disproportionately impacting Black Americans, including members of the identical twins’ own family.
—Will Digravio, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Articles Related to incarceration
Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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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