detention center
Americannoun
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detention centers
plural
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a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of detention center
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
District Judge Maxine M. Chesney appointed Anandkumar to ensure compliance with her February order that ICE provide “constitutionally adequate healthcare” at the detention center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The strike led to significant protests outside the Newark, New Jersey, detention center, and high-profile clashes between protesters and the guards there as well as a frenzy of attention from the national press.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
O’Leary cited persistent issues with transparency at the privately owned for-profit detention center as well.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
In Adelanto, the men found creative ways to fill their time at the detention center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
All too soon, the station wagon pulled to a stop in front of the detention center.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
