Word
incarceration
Phoneticsin·car·cer·a·tion, stress on the fourth syllable
US/ˌɪnˌkɑɹsɝˈeɪʃən/
UK/ɪnkˌɑːsəɹˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01imprisonment
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. the act of putting someone in prison or the state of being a prisoner.
n. the act of confining a person in a prison or other institution as a legal punishment or for security reasons.
“The judge decided that a long period of incarceration was necessary for the crime.”
“The report highlighted the rising rates of incarceration among young adults and suggested alternative rehabilitation programmes instead of prison sentences.”
Synonyms
02medical trapping
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Medicine Technical
n. a medical condition where a part of the body, like a hernia, gets stuck and cannot move back.
n. the abnormal confinement or constriction of a body part, such as a hernia, preventing it from being reduced or returned to its normal position.
“The doctor was worried about the incarceration of the hernia and ordered surgery.”
“Incarceration of the bowel requires immediate surgical intervention to prevent tissue death caused by a lack of blood flow.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage
Often used in formal or legal contexts; frequently paired with 'rate' or 'mass' ('mass incarceration').
Real-World Examples
“Over the course of their incarceration, people detained there will never share a visiting room with their families and children, or even sit across from them behind a plexiglass barrier.” “Those released had been granted “alternative measures from incarceration” under the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence, the country’s interim government said on Friday.” Etymology
From Medieval Latin incarcerātiō.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/incarceration