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

To 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

Synonyms

• captivity
• confinement
• immurement
• impoundment
• imprisonment
• internment
• prison

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

The program’s impact was significant: within five years of its implementation, the U.S. incarceration rate became the highest in the world. —Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

These evacuations and incarcerations were carried out under the direction of Gen. John L. DeWitt of the U.S. Army. —James M. Purcell, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025

Their current work explores the ripple effects of incarceration on Asian American communities. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025

The prison's design and operations reflect an uncompromising philosophy toward incarceration, with inmates confined in large, windowless cages with minimal furnishings—just tiered metal bunks, an open toilet, and a cement basin. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined above

Medical 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