protective custody
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of protective custody
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
An administrative official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the chief minister had been placed in "protective custody" in his official residence but later moved to another location, which he did not disclose.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
He narrowly escaped and was placed under protective custody.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
They were found in Peru and taken into protective custody.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2025
Now he’d be sent to the hospital, stitched up, placed in protective custody, and sent to another prison.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2025
Helmuth tells them what Hugo had said, that Brother Worbs was denounced by someone who heard him criticize the Nazis, and now he was taken into protective custody.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
