incarcerate

UK: /ɪnˈkɑː^rsəreɪt/

US: /ɪnˈkɑrsəˌreɪt/

US: (v. in kär′sə rāt′; adj. in kär′sər it, -sə rāt′)

Inflections of 'incarcerate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

incarcerates

v 3rd person singular

incarcerating

v pres p

incarcerated

v past

incarcerated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•car•cer•ate /ɪnˈkɑrsəˌreɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to put in prison;
   confine.

in•car•cer•a•tion, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•car•cer•ate  (v. in kär′sə rāt′;adj. in kär′sər it, -sə rāt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing, adj. 
v.t. 

1. to imprison;
   confine.
2. to enclose;
   constrict closely.

adj. 

3. imprisoned.

• Medieval Latin incarcerātus past participle of incarcerāre to imprison, equivalent. to in- in-² + carcer prison + -ātus -ate¹
• 1520–30

in•car′cer•a′tion, n. 
in•car′cer•a′tive, adj. 
in•car′cer•a′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. jail, immure, intern.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

incarcerate / ɪnˈkɑːsəˌreɪt/ verb

1. (transitive) to confine or imprison

Etymology: 16th Century: from Medieval Latin incarcerāre, from Latin in-² + carcer prison

inˌcarcerˈation noun

inˈcarcerˌator noun