detainee
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of detainee
Explanation
A prisoner is sometimes called a detainee, especially if they're being held by a government or its military forces. Political prisoners are often referred to as detainees, as are people captured by armed forces. Legally, anyone who is being temporarily held or detained until they can be tried in a court is also called a detainee. An inmate or prisoner, on the other hand, has been convicted and imprisoned as part of a legal sentence. Detainee and detain come from the Latin root detinere, "to hold off or hold back."
Vocabulary lists containing detainee
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.
"This is not the first death of a detainee at Delaney Hall, and absent decisive action, it will not be the last," he said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
If a legislator is visiting for an inspection, they are now required to present privacy waivers for each detainee they want to speak with, which must be signed by the detainee.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The revised guidelines “emphasize that detainee volunteers participating in the voluntary work program are not considered facility and/or government employees” and thus not entitled to labor regulations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The properties largely weren’t zoned for detention and didn’t have working plumbing to support large detainee populations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The detainee who is wise enough to realize this will never find any cause for complaint, but only all conceivable help, to erase the memory of what he had been accused of.
From My Life and My Efforts by Gunther Olesch
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.
