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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
Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
The reward for all their labors: a powerful rapport with the residents of Watts, and countless kids rerouted from the gangs and the carceral system.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
The systemic failure to release those ready to return home strains a dangerous carceral system and costs New York taxpayers billions of dollars every year.
—Julia Salazar, New York Daily News, 16 May 2025
At another level, the museum show is a condemnation of carceral conditions and human rights violations in her homeland and beyond.
—Ariel Fisher, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for carceral
Cite this Entry
“Carceral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carceral. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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