detainer

American  

[dih-tey-ner] / dɪˈteɪ nər /

noun

Law.

1. a writ for the further detention of a person already in custody.

2. the wrongful detaining or withholding of what belongs to another.

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detainer British  

/ dɪˈteɪnə /

noun

1. the wrongful withholding of the property of another person

2. 1. the detention of a person in custody

   2. a writ authorizing the further detention of a person already in custody

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Other Word Forms

• predetainer noun

Etymology

Origin of detainer

1610–20; < Anglo-French detener (noun use of infinitive), variant of Old French detenir; see detain

Example Sentences

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

But in Hernández’s case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons scrambled to get his detainer removed so he could walk free.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 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

Marshals, he was immediately transferred to ICE custody on Nov. 24, pursuant to a detainer.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2025

"I suspect you will see very little of him after dinner," observed Harding, in his meek fashion, "That wonderful '32 port will prove a detainer impossible to get away from."

From The Bramleighs of Bishop's Folly by Lever, Charles James