detention

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of detaining.

2. the state of being detained.

3. maintenance of a person in custody or confinement, especially while awaiting a court decision.

4. the withholding of what belongs to or is claimed by another.

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adjective

1. of or relating to detention or used to detain.

   the detention room of a police station.

detention British  

/ dɪˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of detaining or state of being detained

2. 1. custody or confinement, esp of a suspect awaiting trial

   2. ( as modifier )

      a detention order

3. a form of punishment in which a pupil is detained after school

4. the withholding of something belonging to or claimed by another

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Other Word Forms

• nondetention
  noun
• predetention
  noun

Etymology

Origin of detention

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin dētentiōn- (stem of dētentiō ), equivalent to dētent ( us ) detained (past participle of dētinēre; see detain) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Detention is a word for confinement or imprisonment, usually for a short time. It's also a punishment where children must stay after school. If you're in detention, you probably did something wrong: you're being confined against your will. The police hold people in detention, and so do military forces. Usually, detention is a short period of confinement, like if someone is arrested and then released. Also, the word is commonly used for an after-school punishment for children who have to stay in detention instead of going home. One thing is true of both kinds of detention: no one wants to be there.

Example Sentences

Brian Waterman was arrested early evening on Thursday by the Jurupa Valley Police Department and was being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

The 10 experts are UN Special Rapporteurs - independent human rights specialists appointed by the UN Human Rights Council - and four four members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced its “ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative” in February, which calls for “eight large-scale detention centers and 16 processing sites, as well as the acquisition of 10 existing ‘turnkey’ facilities.”

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

The Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland has been in operation in some form for more than 155 years.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Detention that afternoon was with Mr. Ferris, because the eighth-grade teachers took turns monitoring After School Detention—which probably put them in really good moods.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• arrest
• custody
• delay
• incarceration
• internment
• quarantine