detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən 
1
: the act or fact of detaining or holding back
especially
: a holding in custody
the detention of suspects
2
: the state of being detained
Some protesters were held in detention.
especially
: a period of temporary custody prior to disposition by a court
3
: a punishment in which a student is required to stay at school for a period of time beyond normal class hours
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 escape occurred this week at the Maison d’arrêt de Dijon, the main detention facility in the eastern French city of Dijon, according to AFP, La Dépêche and Le Dauphiné Libéré.
—
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
What To Know Officials did not explain the reason for Lopez Belloza's detention at the time, and she was later transported to the Burlington ICE field office before being flown to Texas, according to her attorney.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The statutes that authorize ICE’s functions ordinarily require an administrative warrant before the detention of a noncitizen.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Several years later, in 2010, the detention of a Chinese fisherman by Japanese forces in disputed water caused a temporary embargo on rare earth exports, something Japanese industry is heavily reliant on.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
What To Know Officials did not explain the reason for Lopez Belloza's detention at the time, and she was later transported to the Burlington ICE field office before being flown to Texas, according to her attorney.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The statutes that authorize ICE’s functions ordinarily require an administrative warrant before the detention of a noncitizen.
—Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 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 8 Dec. 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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