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

The psychiatrist said failing to take medicine was not unusual among patients with schizophrenia and was not a reason for detention - the "net effect of that on the person" is.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Counties must invest in pretrial alternatives—such as treatment programs, monitoring, and social service referrals—to provide judges with options beyond money bail or detention.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

The mechanics were straightforward: Set bail at an amount the defendant cannot pay and the result is the same as ordering detention outright.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Four were released on bond, and one remains in an ICE detention facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Both me and Lymon got detention after school today, so I’m gonna have to wait to go to the library.

From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Related Words

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