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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
incarcerated
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
"incarcerated" is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is primarily used as a verb to indicate that someone has been put in prison or another form of confinement. Example sentence: After being convicted of robbery, he was incarcerated in a state penitentiary.
✓ Grammatically correct
News & Media
Formal & Business
Science
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
60 human-written examples
More than 400 protesters gathered outside the centre in Bedfordshire, where a similar number of women are incarcerated.
News & Media
Tarantino confirmed last month that Django Unchained begins with German-born bounty hunter Dr King Schultz Christoph Waltzz) freeing Jamie Foxx's title character and helping to train him in combat so that he can return to the plantation where his wife is incarcerated in the hope of liberating her.
News & Media
Amnesty International warned that Ibrahim's death sentence meant hundreds of former Gaddafi supporters incarcerated across Libya may face the same fate.
News & Media
In the dead of night Fahad Abdul Kariem and Ayman Karawani left the secret house where they had in effect been incarcerated for 18 days with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
News & Media
Related: Sexual assaults in prisons in England and Wales on the rise, figures reveal While these numbers include a handful of extremely dangerous young people who have committed shocking crimes, most have found themselves incarcerated after a succession of minor offences – the average time served is less than three months.
News & Media
Eventually, empowered by a forbidden love affair, his capacity for trouble leaked beyond the prison's walls in the form of a thoughtful and controversial blog which, while he was still incarcerated, was long-listed for the Orwell Prize.
News & Media
I cannot see, for example, that anything positive is going to come of draining resources out of Aboriginal Legal Services when we are still incarcerated at exorbitant rates, nor any benefits to Family Violence Prevention services when Aboriginal women are still 45 times more likely to experience family violence.
News & Media
During these pogroms, 91 Jews were killed, thousands were taken from their homes and incarcerated in concentration camps, 267 synagogues were destroyed, and some 7,500 Jewish-owned shops were smashed and looted.
News & Media
The CIA, in concert with the AFL-CIO American labour movement, intensified underground efforts to help Solidarity as the movement fought for survival while Lech Wałesa and many of its other leaders were incarcerated.
News & Media
However, Azmi and others said that a series of terrorist cases in recent years in which Muslims had been suspected, investigated and often incarcerated for long periods before being acquitted had damaged trust in the police and, more broadly, the government.
News & Media
Fully 65% of young offenders incarcerated in one of the state's long-term facilities, and 53% of convicted juveniles not sent to a long-term state-run facility, commit another crime within the next three years.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Use "incarcerated" when you want to convey a formal and serious tone, emphasizing the legal aspect of imprisonment. It is particularly suitable for news reports, legal documents, and academic writing.
Common error
Avoid using "incarcerated" as a casual synonym for simpler terms like "detained" or "confined" when the context does not warrant the formality. Overusing it can make your writing sound unnecessarily stilted.
Source & Trust
88%
Authority and reliability
4.6/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The primary grammatical function of "incarcerated" is as a past participle or adjective, describing the state of being imprisoned. It is derived from the verb "incarcerate". As Ludwig AI confirms, it accurately describes someone being confined in prison.
Frequent in
News & Media
66%
Formal & Business
16%
Science
18%
Less common in
Encyclopedias
0%
Wiki
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
The word "incarcerated" is a grammatically correct and frequently used term, as Ludwig AI confirms, to describe someone who has been imprisoned. It carries a formal tone and is commonly found in news reports, legal documents, and academic writing. While alternatives like "jailed" or "confined" exist, "incarcerated" specifically emphasizes the legal and institutional aspect of imprisonment. It's important to avoid overusing it in casual contexts. Usage analysis reveals its high frequency in "News & Media", "Formal & Business", and "Science" sources, highlighting its relevance in professional and factual discourse.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
imprisoned
Direct synonym indicating being held in a prison.
jailed
Informal synonym suggesting a brief or less severe period of imprisonment.
confined
Broader term indicating restriction to a specific place, not necessarily a prison.
detained
Suggests temporary confinement, often while awaiting trial or investigation.
held captive
Implies being held against one's will, often by force or coercion.
imprisoned within
This alternative focus on the sense of being trapped or restricted.
behind bars
Idiomatic expression emphasizing the physical confinement of imprisonment.
in custody
Legal term indicating being held by law enforcement.
in detention
Focuses on the state of being held, often in a formal setting.
serving time
Colloquial phrase referring to the period spent in prison.
FAQs
How can I use "incarcerated" in a sentence?
You can use "incarcerated" to describe someone who is imprisoned, such as "The suspect was "incarcerated" after the trial".
What is the difference between "incarcerated" and "imprisoned"?
"Incarcerated" and "imprisoned" are very similar, but "incarcerated" often carries a slightly more formal and legalistic tone. You can use alternatives like "imprisoned".
What are some alternatives to using the word "incarcerated"?
Is it correct to say someone was "incarcerated for life"?
Yes, it is correct. The phrase "incarcerated for life" means that someone is sentenced to spend the rest of their life in prison. It is similar to saying they received a life sentence.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
88%
Authority and reliability
4.6/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested