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Synonyms

detainee

American  
[dih-tey-nee, dee-tey-nee] / dɪˈteɪ ni, ˌdi teɪˈni /

noun

  1. a person held in custody, especially for a political offense or for questioning.

Etymology

Origin of detainee

First recorded in 1925–30; detain + -ee

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.

He thanked Ukraine for ensuring international law was respected in the handling of the detainees.

From BBC

The lawyer representing the detainees in Malabo said that it has been difficult to speak with his clients, because "authorization from the Ministry of Security is required to visit them."

From Barron's

The symbolic scene in part captures the struggles of the detainees' relatives.

From Barron's

At Tehran University of Medical Sciences, students held a march and a sit-in in solidarity with imprisoned students and other young detainees.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Many of us are aware that the amnesty law does not cover our relatives," Hiowanka Avila, 39, told AFP outside the Rodeo 1 prison near Caracas, where many of the detainees are ex-soldiers or officers.

From Barron's

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.