Incarcerate
/ɪnˈkɑːrsəˌreɪt/
verbC1
Definition
Incarcerate means to put a person in jail or prison. It is usually done by the government as a punishment when someone breaks the law. When someone is incarcerated, they cannot leave freely because they are kept in a locked place.
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See It in Action
To put someone in prison as a legal punishment
- •The judge decided to incarcerate the thief for five years.
- •Many criminals are incarcerated for serious crimes.
- •The government incarcerates people who break the law.
To keep someone locked up or confined (less common, formal)
- •The activist was incarcerated for protesting against the government.
- •Some people argue that incarcerating non-violent offenders is not helpful.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "incarcerate" like "put in jail," but a more formal or serious word used in official or legal talk.
- ✓Picture a person behind bars, inside a small, locked room called a prison.
- ✓It's the feeling of being trapped and unable to leave, like when you are stuck in a room with the door locked.
- ✓Sounds like "in-CAR-suh-rate" → imagine putting someone inside a locked car that cannot open, so they cannot get out.
- ✓In stories or movies, villains or criminals are often incarcerated after being caught by police.
- ✓NOT like "lock" (which can mean to close a door or box) because "incarcerate" means to keep a person locked inside a jail or prison.
- ✓NOT like "detain" (which can be temporary or short), "incarcerate" means long-term imprisonment.
- ✓NOT like "imprison" (very similar), but "incarcerate" is more formal and often used in law or official contexts.
Try Other Words
- •Imprison: to put someone in prison (Use when you want a formal word similar to incarcerate)
- •Detain: to keep someone in custody for a short time (Use when the holding time is short or temporary)
- •Confine: to keep someone in a space and not let them leave (Use when focus is on physical restriction, not legal punishment)
- •Lock up: to put someone in jail or a locked place (Use in casual or spoken language)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "in-" meaning "inside" or "within"
- •Root: "carcer" from Latin meaning "prison" or "jail"
- •Suffix: "-ate" which turns the word into a verb meaning "to cause to be"
- •Etymology: From Latin "incarcerare," meaning to put into prison or jail
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s in English to mean putting someone in prison as punishment
- •Modern usage: Common in law, government, and formal writing when talking about imprisonment
Reflect & Connect
•How does the word "incarcerate" change the way we think about punishment compared to simpler words like "lock up" or "jail"?
•What are some reasons a society might choose to incarcerate someone, and how does this affect the person and community?
Fill in the blanks
1.The court decided to incarcerate the suspect ___ he was found guilty of theft.
2.People who are incarcerated usually cannot ___ the prison until their sentence ends.
3.Unlike detaining someone for questioning, to incarcerate means to keep them ___ for a longer time.
4.The law aims to incarcerate those who commit serious crimes ___ protecting others.
5.Activists sometimes argue that incarcerate ___ non-violent offenders can cause more harm than good.
6.When someone is incarcerated, their freedom is ___ by the government.
7.The judge has the power to incarcerate a person ___ the legal process is complete.