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
But the main attraction is Equal Justice Institute's Legacy Museum, which provides a comprehensive history of the United States on the legacy of slavery and mass incarceration.
—Kiratiana Freelon, Parents, 21 May 2024
Moriarty attributed Dunn's ongoing incarceration to a quirk in Missouri law.
—CBS News, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for incarceration 
Kiratiana Freelon, Parents, 21 May 2024
Moriarty attributed Dunn's ongoing incarceration to a quirk in Missouri law.
—CBS News, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for incarceration
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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Cite this Entry
“Incarceration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarceration. Accessed 29 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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