detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən 
1
: the act or fact of detaining or holding back
especially
: a holding in custody
2
: the state of being detained
especially
: a period of temporary custody prior to disposition by a court
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
International implications of using foreign fighters By allowing non-Ukrainians to serve, Kyiv runs the risk of these fighters being labelled as mercenaries by Russia, leaving them vulnerable to capture, detention and extradition to Russia.
—
Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Abrego Garcia is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Virginia.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Health and Human Services is supposed to play no role in the apprehension or initial detention of children and by law is not a party to children’s immigration proceedings.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Some employees who were released from detention returned to the plant almost immediately, Schmidt said.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Abrego Garcia is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Virginia.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 6 Sep. 2025
Health and Human Services is supposed to play no role in the apprehension or initial detention of children and by law is not a party to children’s immigration proceedings.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Some employees who were released from detention returned to the plant almost immediately, Schmidt said.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 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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