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.
He narrowly escaped and was placed under protective custody.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Now he’d be sent to the hospital, stitched up, placed in protective custody, and sent to another prison.
From Slate • Oct. 8, 2025
Mr De Wet will be taken into protective custody until the end of the trial.
From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025
The girl was temporarily taken into protective custody until she was reunited with her family.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025
Should they take me into something called "protective custody"? If they can't locate next of kin, can they turn me over to a family friend?
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
