incarceration
pronunciation
How to pronounce incarceration in British English:
UK [ɪnˌkɑ:sə'reɪʃn]
How to pronounce incarceration in American English:
US [ɪnˌkɑsə'reɪʃn]
-
- Noun:
- the state of being imprisoned
Word Origin
- incarceration (n.)
- early 15c., "retention of pus," from Medieval Latin incarcerationem (nominative incarceratio), noun of action from past participle stem of incarcerare "to imprison," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + carcer "prison, an enclosed space," from Proto-Italic *kar-kr(o)-, of uncertain origin. It seems best to connect carcer with other IE words for 'circle, round object', such as Latin. curvus, Gr. κιρκος 'ring', OIc. hringr, although not all of these have a good IE etymology. The reduplication in Latin carcer could be iconic; thus, the original meaning would have been 'enclosure'. [de Vaan]
Example
- 1. Their incarceration rate is seven times the national average .
- 2. Then there is the awkward issue of incarceration .
- 3. America 's phenomenally high incarceration rate also plays a part .
- 4. Excessive incarceration is an americanproblem .
- 5. States seem to have realised at last that incarceration is expensive .