detain

[dih-teyn]

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verb (used with object)

to keep from proceeding; keep waiting; delay.
to keep under restraint or in custody.
Obsolete. to keep back or withhold, as from a person.

Origin of detain

1480–90; detainen < Anglo-French, Old French detenir < Vulgar Latin *dētenīre, for Latin dētinēre, equivalent to dē- de- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold

Related formsde·tain·a·ble, adjectivede·tain·ment, nounpre·de·tain, verb (used with object)un·de·tain·a·ble, adjectiveun·de·tained, adjective

Synonyms for detain

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1. retard, stop, slow, stay, check.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for detain

apprehend, delay, confine, jail, decelerate, hinder, retard, nab, pinch, inhibit, bust, withhold, intern, restrain, ice, mire, impede, constrain, check, reserve

Examples from the Web for detain

Contemporary Examples of detain

Kadyrov had promised to detain Muslim women wearing veils that cover their faces.
Fierce Fighting in Grozny Raises Specter of ISIS Influence in Russia
Anna Nemtsova
December 4, 2014
Still, Israel is not the only country to detain refugee applicants.
After Fleeing War and Genocide, African Refugees in Israel March for Freedom
Matt Surrusco
December 19, 2013
They find a few ounces of meth in the car and detain him for twenty four hours.
The Devil’s Drug: The True Story of Meth in New Mexico
Nick Romeo
August 24, 2013
Senator Marco Rubio asks "Why shouldn't we have a place to take people that we detain--like Guantanamo?"
John Brennan's CIA Confirmation Hearing: Live Updates (Video)
February 7, 2013
They will detain them and begin the process of removal—which is what federal law theoretically calls for in the first place.
The Arizona Immigration Decision
David Frum
June 25, 2012

Historical Examples of detain

"Don't let me detain you," said Halbert, with an elaborate share of politeness.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
What he had to say therefore on the subject would not detain them long.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
Mrs. Menotti tried to detain him; she could not understand what was amiss.
Rico and Wiseli
Johanna Spyri
Then she withdrew her arms, and this time he did not try to detain her.
The Foolish Lovers
St. John G. Ervine
As everything was right, the ship did not detain us, and we were permitted to proceed.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for detain

detain

verb (tr)

to delay; hold back; stop
to confine or hold in custody; restrain
archaic to retain or withhold

Derived Formsdetainable, adjectivedetainee (ˌdiːteɪˈniː), noundetainment, noun

Word Origin for detain

C15: from Old French detenir, from Latin dētinēre to hold off, keep back, from de- + tenēre to hold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for detain

early 15c., deteynen, from Old French detenir "to hold off, keep back" (12c.), from Latin detinere "hold off, keep back," from de- "from, away" (see de-) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Modern spelling is 17c., from influence of contain, retain, etc. Related: Detained; detaining.