detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē 
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons
Examples of detainee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another 250 detainees only have immigration violations on their records, but no criminal convictions or pending charges.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Larger numbers circulated in media reports likely referenced the number of ICE detainees held and released in a calendar year, Forestal explained in the statement.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 6 Aug. 2025
County mayor Jerry Demings strongly urged commissioners to ratify the controversial addendum to that pact, which could result in county corrections officers driving detainees more than four hours to Alligator Alcatraz to be deported.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
At least three detainees were released the following day.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainee
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Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Larger numbers circulated in media reports likely referenced the number of ICE detainees held and released in a calendar year, Forestal explained in the statement.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 6 Aug. 2025
County mayor Jerry Demings strongly urged commissioners to ratify the controversial addendum to that pact, which could result in county corrections officers driving detainees more than four hours to Alligator Alcatraz to be deported.
—Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
At least three detainees were released the following day.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē
: a person who is detained
especially
: a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing
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