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.
After taking him to jail, police placed an ICE detainer on him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
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
On the day he was to be released, records show, Hernández had an immigration detainer — a request for law enforcement agencies to hold noncitizens for pickup by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — in place.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
In her declaration, MacCabe said she and Butler learned in September that Flores had been transferred to ICE custody on a detainer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2026
I don’t know whether I recognised first the newspaper or its detainer; one, in either case, would have helped me to identify the other.
From Lady Barbarina The Siege of London, An International Episode and Other Tales by Henry James
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
