verb
incarcerate
Incarcerate (verb) means to put someone in prison, usually as punishment for a crime.
verb
1
To put someone in prison, usually as punishment for a crime.
"In 2021, a judge found that Angola was providing inadequate medical care to its incarcerated population."
— Hannah Rabinowitz, Trump administration to open new ICE facility at notorious Louisiana prison (2025)
"Tolokonnikova has also been an effective public speaker even while incarcerated, but she has spoken out on politics and freedom in general rather than prisoners’ rights."
— Masha Gessen, Life in a Russian Prison (2013)
2
To keep someone or something shut inside a place.
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Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1528, the verb in 1575; borrowed from Medieval Latin incarcerātus, perfect passive participle of incarcerō (“to imprison”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin in- (“in”) + carcer (“a prison”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Common participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
Related words
Rhymes for incarcerate
See all rhymes for incarcerate →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of incarcerate?
"incarcerate" (verb) means to put someone in prison, usually as punishment for a crime.
What is another word for incarcerate?
Other words for "incarcerate" include immure, lag, remand, jug, jail, gaol.
What is the opposite of incarcerate?
Opposites of "incarcerate" include liberate, release.
What are the different meanings of incarcerate?
"incarcerate" has 2 main meanings: 1. To put someone in prison, usually as punishment for a crime; 2. To keep someone or something shut inside a place.
