detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən 
1
: the act or fact of detaining or holding back
especially
: a holding in custody
2
: the state of being detained
especially
: a period of temporary custody prior to disposition by a court
Examples of detention in a Sentence
the detention of suspected terrorists
The jail is only used for brief detentions.
They both got three detentions this year.
He got detention for being late to class.
Recent Examples on the Web
The 1985 blockbuster about a group of suburban Chicago high school misfits who are forced to spend detention together is being rereleased by Universal Pictures.
—
Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates is advocating for policy changes at DJS, particularly regarding who should make detention decisions.
—Keith Daniels, Baltimore Sun, 16 Aug. 2025
Shaw’s detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Guerrero-Cruz was being held in ICE detention in LA.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates is advocating for policy changes at DJS, particularly regarding who should make detention decisions.
—Keith Daniels, Baltimore Sun, 16 Aug. 2025
Shaw’s detention is among the latest examples of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which, despite pledges to focus on violent criminals, has also swept up lawful residents like Shaw.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Guerrero-Cruz was being held in ICE detention in LA.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən
: the act of detaining : the state of being detained: as
a
: temporary custody before a trial
b
: the punishment of being kept in after school
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