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
Israel also agreed to release a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
—
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit challenging the authority of county jails to hold immigrant detainees for federal authorities.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025
Bassem Khandaqji, 41, was one of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees released by Israel in the Gaza ceasefire deal.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
At $190 a day per detainee, that amounts to more than $8 million per day, without taking into account the cost of flights, ICE and law enforcement staff, judicial expenses and more.
—Michelle Brané, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainee
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Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit challenging the authority of county jails to hold immigrant detainees for federal authorities.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 3 Dec. 2025
Bassem Khandaqji, 41, was one of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees released by Israel in the Gaza ceasefire deal.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
At $190 a day per detainee, that amounts to more than $8 million per day, without taking into account the cost of flights, ICE and law enforcement staff, judicial expenses and more.
—Michelle Brané, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 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 9 Dec. 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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