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
In March, Israel dropped charges against five soldiers who had been accused of beating and sodomizing a Palestinian detainee in an alleged assault partially caught on camera.
—
Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Though detainees’ families have also expressed alarm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have defended the facility as offering higher detention standards than many US prisons.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Mexican citizens are the most common detainees arrested in North Carolina since January 2025, followed by Honduran and Guatemalan citizens.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Witnesses also described how Venezuelan courts became powerless once intelligence officials decided detainees would remain imprisoned.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
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Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Though detainees’ families have also expressed alarm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have defended the facility as offering higher detention standards than many US prisons.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Mexican citizens are the most common detainees arrested in North Carolina since January 2025, followed by Honduran and Guatemalan citizens.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Witnesses also described how Venezuelan courts became powerless once intelligence officials decided detainees would remain imprisoned.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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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