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detainee

noun

de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons

Examples of detainee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ruling could therefore open the door for bond hearings for a significant share of detainees now held under the invalidated policy. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025 He was left with a bleeding face, and the other detainees were told to leave the room and he was taken away for medical care. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025 The new detainees are all Parisian, including a 38-year-old man and a 39-year-old man, as well as a 31-year-old woman and a 40-year-old woman, a Paris prosecutor said. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 25 Nov. 2025 Underwood hopes to visit the other ICE processing centers around Illinois and return to the Broadview facility when detainees are present. CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for detainee

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of detainee was circa 1928

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Cite this Entry

“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

Legal Definition

detainee

noun
de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
: a person who is detained
especially : a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing

More from Merriam-Webster on detainee

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