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juvenile detention center

American  
[joo-vuh-nl di-ten-shuhn sen-ter, ‐-nahyl] / ˈdʒu və nl dɪˈtɛn ʃən ˌsɛn tər, ‐ˌnaɪl /

noun

  1. a correctional facility for juvenile offenders or delinquents, often under the supervision of a juvenile court.


Etymology

Origin of juvenile detention center

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

See Examples For:

The prison, run by Wackenhut Corrections Corporation—a precursor of GEO—was a 276-bed juvenile detention center called the Jena Juvenile Justice Center.

From Slate Jun. 19, 2025

She spent time in a juvenile detention center.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 21, 2025

The girl is being held in Guyana's juvenile detention center and the charges against her were formalized during a virtual hearing in Magistrate's Court.

From Reuters May 29, 2023

In 1997, Ms. Godfrey was in her hometown, Victoria, British Columbia, where her novel was set, researching a juvenile detention center, because her troubled heroine would spend time in one.

From New York Times Nov. 4, 2022

It was one step away from a real juvenile detention center.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

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