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Carceral is a member of a small but imposing family: like its close relations incarcerate (meaning "to imprison") and incarceration (meaning "confinement in a jail or prison"), its ultimate source is the Latin word for "prison," carcer. All three words have been in use since the 16th century, and all three are more common today than they were a century ago. Carceral has always been the rarest of the group, but its use has increased significantly since the turn of the current century, most often within academic or legal contexts.
Examples of carceral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The treatment gap is especially acute in carceral settings.
—
Hannah Harris Green,
STAT,
26 June 2026
Cabrera is a veteran of both the MPWW and the Minnesota carceral system, and joins Lost Kite as a multimedia editor.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The state’s sprawling carceral footprint — over 25,000 acres of state land — might be shrinking.
—
Brian Kaneda,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Diverting thousands of nonviolent misdemeanor cases into the carceral system burdens county budgets.
—
Yehiel Kyle Israel,
Sun Sentinel,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for carceral
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Hannah Harris Green,
STAT,
26 June 2026
Cabrera is a veteran of both the MPWW and the Minnesota carceral system, and joins Lost Kite as a multimedia editor.
—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
The state’s sprawling carceral footprint — over 25,000 acres of state land — might be shrinking.
—
Brian Kaneda,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Diverting thousands of nonviolent misdemeanor cases into the carceral system burdens county budgets.
—
Yehiel Kyle Israel,
Sun Sentinel,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for carceral
Cite this Entry
“Carceral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carceral. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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