incarceration

/ɪnˌkɑːsəˈreɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˌkɑːrsəˈreɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /(ˌ)in-ˌkär-sə-ˈrā-shən/ (ame, mw)

incarceration — 名詞

1. the punishment of being locked behind prison walls, often for many years followi

1.名詞C1
釋義

監禁；坐牢

因犯罪被法院判處關進監獄

the punishment of being locked behind prison walls, often for many years following a court's decision.

例句

After ten years of incarceration, Rodrigo walked out of the prison gates a free man.

在監禁十年後，Rodrigo 走出監獄大門，成為自由之身。

after [N] years of incarceration

The judge ordered the incarceration of the three men for armed robbery.

法官判處那三名男子因持械搶劫而入獄監禁。

order the incarceration of [someone] for [crime]

同義詞
  • imprisonment

    near-synonym; slightly less formal and more common in everyday writing

  • detention

    broader; includes short-term holding, often before trial or for immigration cases

  • confinement

    general term; can apply to any forced restriction of movement, not only prisons

反義詞
  • release

    the act of letting a prisoner go free

  • freedom

    general state opposite to being imprisoned

文法句型

incarceration of [someone]

incarceration in [a place]

the incarceration of [someone] for [crime/reason]

用法筆記

Frequently appears with quantified time spans (years of / months of / decades of). Common in legal, academic, and journalistic writing; less common in everyday speech, where 'jail time' or 'prison sentence' is preferred.

常見錯誤

❌He was incarcerationed for two years.
✅He was incarcerated for two years.
💡incarceration is the noun; the verb form is 'incarcerate'.
❌The incarceration to the prisoner lasted ten years.
✅The incarceration of the prisoner lasted ten years.
💡use 'of' to introduce the person being imprisoned, not 'to'.

2. the experience of being shut up inside a small or closed space and unable to go

2.名詞C2
釋義

閉鎖；幽禁

被困於狹小或封閉空間無法外出

the experience of being shut up inside a small or closed space and unable to go out, used outside the legal meaning.

例句

Apinya's weeks of incarceration in the tiny apartment ended with a walk to the park.

Apinya 在小公寓裡閉鎖數週的日子，以一趟散步去公園作結。

weeks of incarceration in [small space]

The sailors described their three-month incarceration below deck during the storm season.

那些水手描述了暴風季節時，他們在甲板下被幽禁三個月的經歷。

[duration] incarceration [in/below place]

同義詞
  • confinement

    near-synonym; sounds slightly more neutral and less dramatic

  • isolation

    emphasises being cut off from people, not just shut in a space

反義詞
  • freedom

    the open state of being able to come and go

文法句型

incarceration in [a place]

feel a sense of incarceration

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this metaphorical sense applies to any forced enclosure (illness, weather, lockdown, isolation) — no court or prison involved. Often pairs with words like 'voluntary', 'home', 'self-imposed'.

常見錯誤

❌The cat hated its incarceration in the box for one hour.
✅The cat hated being shut in the box for one hour.
💡incarceration is too formal for everyday short confinement; reserve it for prolonged or notable enclosure.