French word

incarcérer

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃kaʁseʁe/

Meaning

  • verbjail

Example

Le tribunal a décidé d'incarcérer le condamné.

The court decided to jail the convicted man.

Illustration for incarcérer (jail)

More examples

Après l'altercation, on a menacé de l'incarcérer.

After the altercation, they threatened to incarcerate him.

Core concept

A person placed behind locked prison walls by a court.

Similar words

aller en prison: Go to prison and enter it.
envoyer en prison: Send someone to prison and have them confined there.
emprisonner: Put someone in prison and keep them confined.
détenir: Temporarily deprive someone of their freedom and hold them in custody.

Definition in French

Soumettre une personne à la détention pénale, c'est-à-dire la placer en prison sur décision judiciaire.

Word origin

French incarcérer comes from Latin incarcerare, formed from in- meaning 'in' and carcer meaning 'prison'.

Usage tips

  • Incarcérer is a formal legal verb, while everyday French often uses envoyer en prison or mettre en prison.

Other meanings

  • detainverb

Opposites

Related words

  • incarcérationincarcerationnoun
  • incarcéréincarceratedadjective

Word lists with this word