Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

incarcerate

/ɪnˈkɑɹ.səˌɹeɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.21 in modern English

Syllables
in-car-cer-ate
IPA
/ɪnˈkɑɹ.səˌɹeɪt/
15
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To lock away; to imprison, especially for breaking the law.

American usage; Transitive verb

verb

To confine; to shut up or enclose; to hem in.

Transitive verb

adj

Incarcerated: jailed, imprisoned, confined, shut in.

Archaic; Obsolete

Example Sentences

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪnˈkɑɹ.səˌɹeɪt/
  • British English: /ɪnˈkɑː.səˌɹeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce incarcerate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈkɑɹ.səˌɹeɪt/.
What does incarcerate mean?
To lock away; to imprison, especially for breaking the law.
Where does incarcerate come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce incarcerate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “incarcerate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪnˈkɑɹ.səˌɹeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “incarcerate”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “incarcerate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.