detainee

American  

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

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of detainee

First recorded in 1925–30; detain + -ee

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

detainee

Shirin Ali: What goes through your head when you realize a client you’ve been representing is no longer listed on DHS’ detainee locator?

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026

"Use of these small metal enclosures for any reason is unprecedented among detention facilities OIG has inspected and presents significant risks to detainee health and safety," the report said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

The detainee issue is part of wider US-mediated negotiations, alongside separate efforts to recover the remains of Lebanese Jewish community leaders abducted and killed during the country's civil war.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

In an interview, Ramirez said she believes the lack of payment for medical claims is directly tied to an increase in detainee deaths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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

Related Words

• hostage
• prisoner
• prisoner of war
• slave