noun · formal
incarceration
UK/ɪnˌkɑːsəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/US/ɪnˌkɑːrsəˈreɪʃən/in·car·ce·RA·tion
the state of being put in prison; imprisonment
Examples
“The country has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world.”
“Prison reform aims to reduce unnecessary incarceration and improve conditions.”
“Long-term incarceration can hinder reintegration into society.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policy debates now focus on alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, such as community sentences and restorative justice.”
Collocations
- mass incarceration
- reduce incarceration
Word family
Common mistakes
many incarcerations→high rates of incarceration / mass incarceration
in jailment→incarceration / imprisonment
Say it for a higher band
5prison→6imprisonment→7+incarceration
Synonyms
imprisonment
detention
Easily confused
imprisonment
“He faced imprisonment for fraud after the trial.”
detention
“The suspect was held in detention for questioning.”
Related words
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In Society & Government
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