detention centre

British

noun

a place where persons (typically asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, or people awaiting trial) may be detained for short periods by order of a court

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

detention centre

After being caught on the metro, the former bank worker was held for three days in a detention centre without a shower or change of clothes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

The appeal is not suspensive, meaning it does not immediately block the construction of the detention centre while the legal process is ongoing.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Nicolas Fournier, the president of ADELFA, said although winning the lawsuit was "not certain", he was "still trying to hinder this process of building the detention centre with the appeal".

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

France's Ministry of the Interior was granted a permit to build a detention centre with the capacity to hold 140 people in July last year.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

While they were waiting for the judge's decision, Janie went to see her husband at the detention centre.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023