incarcerated
adjective
in·car·cer·at·ed
in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrā-təd 
1
: confined in a jail or prison
Michigan law allows convicted felons to vote and run for office unless they are currently incarcerated, or if their offenses are fraud-related or constitute a breach of public trust.—
The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant
The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant… whatever was needed for her programs combating domestic violence and aiding incarcerated women, ex-offenders, and their children.—Peter Steinfels
Peter SteinfelsComparing the responses of incarcerated boys with nondelinquent adolescents, Scarpitti (1980) describes the three most probable identity resolutions …—Judith Steven-Long et al.
Judith Steven-Long et al.2
medical, of a hernia
: constricted but not strangulated
Within the incarcerated, herniated gastric cardia, there was an acute, benign gastric ulcer.—Gregory J. Gallivan
Gregory J. GallivanExamples of incarcerated in a Sentence
incarcerated residents of that state are still allowed to vote in elections
Recent Examples on the Web
There is a program where incarcerated women help prepare meals to feed the community.
—Kynala Phillips, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Founded in the 1940s as the Central Florida Hygiene Society, the association initially offered mental health care to incarcerated and institutionalized people.
—Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
As the body count rises, survival depends on collective action among the incarcerated population.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
The Texas Jail Project first identified the Smith County issue through direct contact with incarcerated people and families.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
As the eastern United States endures a frigid February, advocates for incarcerated people are bracing for the annual influx of complaints about a lack of heating and warm clothing, problems that can be exacerbated by temporary crises like power outages during a storm.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
The Bureau failed to complete required risk and needs assessments within statutory timeframes for a significant portion of incarcerated people, citing technology issues, staffing limitations, and data problems.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But the incarcerated trio never gave up.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Just hours after he was taken into custody, Anderson was involved in a physical altercation with another incarcerated person.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kynala Phillips, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Founded in the 1940s as the Central Florida Hygiene Society, the association initially offered mental health care to incarcerated and institutionalized people.
—Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
As the body count rises, survival depends on collective action among the incarcerated population.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
The Texas Jail Project first identified the Smith County issue through direct contact with incarcerated people and families.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
As the eastern United States endures a frigid February, advocates for incarcerated people are bracing for the annual influx of complaints about a lack of heating and warm clothing, problems that can be exacerbated by temporary crises like power outages during a storm.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
The Bureau failed to complete required risk and needs assessments within statutory timeframes for a significant portion of incarcerated people, citing technology issues, staffing limitations, and data problems.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But the incarcerated trio never gave up.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
Just hours after he was taken into custody, Anderson was involved in a physical altercation with another incarcerated person.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incarcerated. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
incarcerated
adjective
in·car·cer·at·ed
in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt-əd
of a hernia
: constricted but not strangulated
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
