detain
Americanverb (used with object)
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detains,
present (3rd person singular)
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detained,
past participle, past
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detaining
present participle
verb
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to delay; hold back; stop
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to confine or hold in custody; restrain
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archaic to retain or withhold
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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detaineenoun
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detainmentnoun
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predetainverb (used with object)
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detainableadjective
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undetainableadjective
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undetainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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detainsimple
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detainssimple
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have detainedperfect
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has detainedperfect
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am detainingprogressive
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are detainingprogressive
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is detainingprogressive
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have been detainingperfect progressive
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has been detainingperfect progressive
Past
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detainedsimple
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had detainedperfect
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was detainingprogressive
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were detainingprogressive
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had been detainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of detain
First recorded in 1480–90; detainen, from Anglo-French, Old French detenir, from unattested Vulgar Latin dētenīre, for Latin dētinēre, equivalent to dē- de- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”
Explanation
When you detain someone, you hold them back, slow them down, or stop them from moving on. If you are detained by the police, you may be late for the big football game, even if you were speeding to get there by the kickoff. There are lots of words that contain the root tain, like contain and retain. These come from Latin tenere, which means "to hold." Detain is specifically used when you're talking about holding someone so they can't go anywhere. It's often used in discussions involving the police who detain people who they think might be guilty. But you can use detain, say, when you're explaining why you were late: "I was detained at the office by a conference call that wouldn't end. Sorry."
Vocabulary lists containing detain
Echo
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for January 30–February 5, 2021
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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.
See Examples For:
"We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe," the spokesperson said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
The government said: "The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival."
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
He accused them of directly engaging "in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
DHS said the immigrant, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was in the country illegally and attempted to evade arrest after ICE moved to detain him at a traffic stop Tuesday morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
She spent two and a half years awaiting the high court’s decision, which was that she had been right: the government cannot detain loyal citizens against their will.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Speaking to shareholders during a private meeting last year, the CEO of Akima’s parent company, John Aġnaaqłuk Lincoln, said the company cares about the welfare of the people it detains nationwide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
Marine, temporarily detains someone, the question is: Is that person free to go?
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2025
Apparently, the administration is casting a very wide net as it detains and deports people.
From Salon ● May 25, 2025
China detains more Americans than any other foreign country, according to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, with detention defined as either being held in police custody or being banned from leaving the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024
How very kind Mr. Brooke is, and how fortunate that Mr. Laurence’s business detains him near you so long, since he is so useful to you and Father.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
The former long-haul truck driver said his health deteriorated so significantly while he was detained that, afterward, he could no longer pass the required physical assessment because of his vision and breathing issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Last month, five men were detained in the woods near RAF Fairford, after driving up from London in vans that contained barrels of fuel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
According to HRW, some of the countries accepting the deportees have "arbitrarily detained" or sent them to their home countries, where they face "the risk of persecution or torture".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
In Illinois, a college senior found himself the sole breadwinner of his family after ICE arrested and detained his uncle.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Suddenly, without thinking, I said, “My dad has been detained for interrogation.”
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
Is DHS legally obligated to disclose where they are detaining someone?
From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026
They also broke up an evening protest in Ankara, reportedly detaining around dozen people although there was no independent confirmation of the numbers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
But on 24 July, the police started detaining protesters in the state and we began talking about it online.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Chinese authorities have charged a China-born American seismologist who researches underground nuclear tests with espionage after secretly detaining him in late 2024, according to the Massachusetts man’s supporters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
“We had better move on, Mr. Weston,” said she, “we are detaining the girls.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
