# incarcerate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɪnˈkɑː.səˌɹeɪt/ · frequency rank #74,189

## Definitions
1. To lock away; to imprison, especially for breaking the law.
2. To confine; to shut up or enclose; to hem in.

## Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1528, the verb in 1575; borrowed from Medieval Latin incarcerātus, perfect passive participle of incarcerō (“to imprison”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin in- (“in”) + carcer (“a prison”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Common participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/incarcerate