detention center

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn sen-ter] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən ˌsɛn tər /

noun

1. a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.

2. juvenile detention center.

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Etymology

Origin of detention center

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

"Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she won't last a month in such conditions of detention," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

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

It also includes a massive detention center to be built in New Hampshire that can hold tens of thousands of detainees.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Oakwood also doesn’t have the sewer and water capacity for a 9,000-person detention center, said White.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

It is late afternoon, and we are still standing, still waiting at the detention center.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat