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.
"Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she won't last a month in such conditions of detention," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
At least four Mexican nationals have died at the detention center.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
In Mississippi, volunteers rushed to the detention center where Velasquez was being held and got his signature, too.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
But, Carlos said by phone from the detention center, “I have my moments where I don’t know how much longer I can last.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
It was one step away from a real juvenile detention center.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
