detention

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of detaining.

2. the state of being detained.

3. maintenance of a person in custody or confinement, especially while awaiting a court decision.

4. the withholding of what belongs to or is claimed by another.

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adjective

1. of or relating to detention or used to detain.

   the detention room of a police station.

detention British  

/ dɪˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of detaining or state of being detained

2. 1. custody or confinement, esp of a suspect awaiting trial

   2. ( as modifier )

      a detention order

3. a form of punishment in which a pupil is detained after school

4. the withholding of something belonging to or claimed by another

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Other Word Forms

• nondetention noun
• predetention noun

Etymology

Origin of detention

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin dētentiōn- (stem of dētentiō ), equivalent to dētent ( us ) detained (past participle of dētinēre; detain ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Detention is a word for confinement or imprisonment, usually for a short time. It's also a punishment where children must stay after school. If you're in detention, you probably did something wrong: you're being confined against your will. The police hold people in detention, and so do military forces. Usually, detention is a short period of confinement, like if someone is arrested and then released. Also, the word is commonly used for an after-school punishment for children who have to stay in detention instead of going home. One thing is true of both kinds of detention: no one wants to be there.

Example Sentences

Several protesters confronted law enforcement officers, who wore riot gear, before moving back to the sidewalk in front of the detention center.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Seated in a studio space that had all the warmth of a school detention hall, Adams admitted that, when he moved to New York, he didn’t know much “about the professional side of the world.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The detention has also drawn criticism from advocates, who say it risks undermining morale among service members.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

"Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on their way to France, after three and a half years in detention in Iran," the French president wrote on X.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

They may also be held in detention for a minor offense, without bail, for months or more during investigation and legal proceedings.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• arrest
• custody
• delay
• incarceration
• internment
• quarantine