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.

Steven Lyons is currently being held at the Bali airport's detention centre.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Under Thai law, offenders sentenced to three months or less may serve their term in a detention centre instead of prison.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

"I don't know what to say. I'm free! I'm free! Finally, after one year," Kordia told reporters after emerging from the detention centre near Dallas on Monday.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

They have been held since in Baghdad's al-Karkh prison, once a US Army detention centre known as Camp Cropper, which is part of Baghdad airport's complex that has been subjected to repeated strikes.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

While the father and son were still in the Texas detention centre, Castro had written on social media that the young boy was not doing well being away from his family, classmates and home.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

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