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.

"France has committed to building this detention centre," a UK government spokesperson said.

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

But he couldn't believe the news when he learned the detention centre was coming to his hometown.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

"Now," he said, "we're going to be known as Georgia's greatest little detention centre."

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

When it was announced in 2023, the previous Conservative government said the £476m package would fund a new detention centre in France and hundreds of extra law enforcement officers on France's northern shores.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

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