detention

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

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

• nondetention noun
• predetention noun

Etymology

Origin of detention

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

Example Sentences

The former leader is serving his sentence in a federal police jail in Brasilia, the capital, after being deemed a flight risk and removed from home detention.

From BBC

The man was taken into immigration detention this week in Brisbane and is due to face court in January.

From BBC

He was calling from San Bernardino County, where he’d been held in an immigration detention center for months.

From Los Angeles Times

The next month, Slater Slater Schulman ran more than 700 radio ads in Los Angeles seeking juvenile detention abuse claims, according to X Ante, a company that tracks mass tort advertisements.

From Los Angeles Times

After returning to the U.S. in June, Abrego Garcia was most recently released from detention on Dec. 11, but still faces charges.

From Barron's

Related Words

• arrest
• custody
• delay
• incarceration
• internment
• quarantine