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
Records show immigration officials lifted the detainer on Hernández just after 11 p.m.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
New York City’s existing sanctuary and detainer laws already prohibit New York City’s police department from assisting federal agents with civil immigration enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Marshals, he was immediately transferred to ICE custody on Nov. 24, pursuant to a detainer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2025
Whether, assuming the commitment or detainer to have been unlawful, Mr. Smith O'Brien has any and what legal remedy, and against whom?
From The History of the Great Irish Famine of 1847 (3rd ed.) (1902) With Notices of Earlier Irish Famines by O'Rourke, John
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.
