detention center
Americannoun
-
a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.
Etymology
Origin of 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.
Protesters clashed with US law enforcement outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey, a top US official said Friday, after inmates inside staged a hunger strike over conditions.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
“It’s the only detention center in the country that doesn’t have an indoor waiting area,” she said.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
Prosecutors alleged their actions during a September protest outside the suburban Broadview detention center amounted to impeding or injuring an officer.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Romero León was recently released from the detention center and said he was left at the border with Guatemala.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Beside her walked the guard who had arrived to escort Cole back to the detention center.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
