Incarcerate: meaning, definitions and examples

This term is typically used in legal and formal contexts and implies being put in prison as part of a judicial process.

• The judge decided to incarcerate the criminal for ten years.

Commonly used in formal and legal contexts, this term implies being put in jail as a punishment.

• He was imprisoned for his involvement in the robbery.

Used in situations where someone is held temporarily, often for questioning or due to procedural delays. Doesn't necessarily mean being put in jail.

• The police decided to detain the suspect for further questioning.
• Customs officers detained him at the airport.

This word is used to describe restricting someone's freedom of movement within a certain space, and can be used in both formal and informal settings. It doesn't always imply a legal or punitive context.

• She was confined to her room due to illness.
• They decided to confine the prisoner in a small cell.

This is a more colloquial and less formal way to describe being put in a cell or temporary holding place, such as a police station. Can have a slightly informal or even humorous tone.

• The troublemakers spent the night in the lock-up.
• They threatened to put him in the lock-up if he didn't calm down.