detainer
Americannoun
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a writ for the further detention of a person already in custody.
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the wrongful detaining or withholding of what belongs to another.
noun
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the wrongful withholding of the property of another person
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the detention of a person in custody
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a writ authorizing the further detention of a person already in custody
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detainer
1610–20; < Anglo-French detener (noun use of infinitive), variant of Old French detenir; see detain
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.
US immigration authorities had placed a detainer on him as part of that case, which is a request for someone who is a non-US citizen to be taken into their custody should they be released.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
I had to laugh out loud when I read Mr. Walz complain that ICE lied when it “tweeted that rural Cottonwood County had refused to honor a detainer for an alleged child sex predator.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
In her declaration, MacCabe said she and Butler learned in September that Flores had been transferred to ICE custody on a detainer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026
But thanks to a newly unveiled criminal indictment and a pending immigration detainer, it’s highly unlikely that he will be returning home to his wife and children anytime soon.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2025
Tie a tin canister to a dog’s tail, and another will fall upon him; put a man in prison for debt, and another will lodge a detainer against him.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 17, No. 486, April 23, 1831 by Various
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