Words / C1

in-KAHS-uh-rayt/ɪnˈkɑːsəreɪt/

To incarcerate is to put someone in prison (formal): incarcerate an offender, risk of being incarcerated. Imprison (already in the dictionary) is the close twin; detain is shorter and not always a sentence. A film still is branding, not a defence.

Meaning

To put someone in prison (formal).

Examples

• “The court may incarcerate a leak of unmarked scripts; a film still is not a defence.”
• “Imprison is already in this course. Jail is informal. A still is branding. A script seal is a log. Keep the seal; archive the still.”

Good to know

Imprison (formal). Close: imprison (already in the dictionary). A film still ≠ a defence.

Near in meaning

imprison, jail, detain

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