Meaning of incarcerate in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ɪnˈkɑrsəˌreɪt/

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  1. Verb

    incarcerate

    Etymology

    mid 16th century (earlier (late Middle English) as incarceration): from medieval Latin incarcerat-‘imprisoned’, from the verb incarcerare, from in-‘into’ + Latin carcer‘prison’

    Definitions

    1. lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

    Examples

    • « The suspects were imprisoned without trial »
    • « the murderer was incarcerated for the rest of his life »

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « Think about how much it costs to incarcerate someone. Do we want them just sitting in prison, lifting weights, becoming violent and thinking about the next crime? Or do we want them having a little purpose in life and learning a skill? »
    John Ensign
  • « Despite the fact that in America we incarcerate more juveniles for life terms than in any other country in the world, the truth is that the vast majority of youth offenders will one day be released. The question is simple and stark. Do we want to help them change or do we want to help them become even more violent and dangerous? »
    Ayelet Waldman

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