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
Smith's journey from incarceration to entrepreneurship and advocacy serves as a testament to the power of redemption and the impact one individual can have on systemic change.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
An analysis of the data reveals the sheer scale of youth incarceration in adult jails in Maryland.
—Rachel Baye, NPR, 5 June 2025
He was sentenced to 60 days of incarceration and $500 in restitution.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
His incarceration has become a test case for British diplomacy in Egypt—a test that Britain has largely failed.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
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Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
An analysis of the data reveals the sheer scale of youth incarceration in adult jails in Maryland.
—Rachel Baye, NPR, 5 June 2025
He was sentenced to 60 days of incarceration and $500 in restitution.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
His incarceration has become a test case for British diplomacy in Egypt—a test that Britain has largely failed.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incarceration
Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 9 Jun. 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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