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Carceral is a member of a small but imposing family: like its close relations incarcerate (meaning "to imprison") and incarceration (meaning "confinement in a jail or prison"), its ultimate source is the Latin word for "prison," carcer. All three words have been in use since the 16th century, and all three are more common today than they were a century ago. Carceral has always been the rarest of the group, but its use has increased significantly since the turn of the current century, most often within academic or legal contexts.
Examples of carceral in a Sentence
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 10 July 2025
The county is prohibited from spending the money on the carceral system — prisons, jails or law enforcement agencies.
—Rebecca Ellis
follow, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Advertisement In addition to these instances of the U.S. modeling what’s possible for carceral practices, the country has also directly invested in broader approaches to criminalization internationally.
—Abigail Glasgow, Time, 25 June 2025
Procurement: University Purchases from Prison Labor University interactions with the carceral system extend beyond financial markets.
—Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for carceral
Cite this Entry
“Carceral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carceral. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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