Incarcerated
[ɪnˈkɑːrsəreɪtɪd]
Definitions
Held in custody or confinement; imprisoned.
[ɪnˈkɑːrsəreɪtɪd]
Held in confinement; imprisoned
The incarcerated man was serving a life sentence.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone is stuck in jail. Incarcerated means they're locked up.
👶 For kids: When someone is stuck in jail, they are incarcerated.
More Examples
Conditions for the incarcerated were a subject of debate.
After the verdict, the defendant was immediately incarcerated.
How It's Used
"The incarcerated suspect was awaiting trial."
"The incarcerated protestors were released after a week."
From Latin *incarceratus*, past participle of *incarcerare* ("to imprison"), from *in-* ("in") + *carcer* ("prison").
Historically, the term has been used consistently in legal and formal contexts to describe imprisonment and confinement, dating back to at least the 16th century.
Memory tip
Imagine a person inside a car... a CARcerated person, stuck inside! Incarcerated!