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
This year has also been the deadliest on record for people in immigration detention since the early 2000s, with at least 20 people dying so far.
—
NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
The detention of Lissu in April on incitement and treason charges fueled public uproar against the ruling party.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Before the detention, his asylum case had been scheduled for a Master hearing in July 2026 in San Francisco.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The move, according to immigration attorneys, has resulted in the detention and possible deportation of young immigrants who were granted protections by immigration judges.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
The detention of Lissu in April on incitement and treason charges fueled public uproar against the ruling party.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Before the detention, his asylum case had been scheduled for a Master hearing in July 2026 in San Francisco.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The move, according to immigration attorneys, has resulted in the detention and possible deportation of young immigrants who were granted protections by immigration judges.
—Laura Romero, ABC News, 30 Oct. 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 9 Nov. 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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