detention

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

• detentions
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• nondetention
  noun
• predetention
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• detentions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of detention

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

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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

See Examples For:

detention detentions

Police did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the grounds for Dipke's detention.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

After a month-and-a-half in detention, Velazquez was deported to his native Mexico, leaving the crew he was part of without one of its most experienced workers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Maduro and Flores wore beige jail uniforms and both appear to have lost weight during their detention in Brooklyn.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges ICE has withheld the property of seven people who have been out of immigration detention for more than five months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Imagine being given detention by your mother, and then having to ride home with her.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

It also underscores how U.S. ties with China are fraying over detentions, trade clashes and geopolitical tensions even as Trump works to curry favor with Xi as a fellow superpower leader.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

The detentions were reported to the US-led International Monitoring and Implementation Mechanism, which oversees security coordination between Israel and Lebanon.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

This was perhaps an effort to run out the clock, as Texas law provides that extradition detentions last no more than 90 days.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

On the eve of the election, Zambia's Human Rights Commission said it was "actively monitoring arrests and detentions involving political candidates, supporters, journalists and other actors".

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Because Adrian had started it with the nickels, Principal DeShields opted for a month of Saturday detentions rather than suspension.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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Related Words

• arrest
• custody
• delay
• incarceration
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