detention center
noun
1
: a place where people who have entered a country illegally are kept for a period of time
2
: a place where people who have committed crimes are kept as punishment
She spent several months in a detention center for women.
a juvenile detention center
Examples of detention center in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Luna, a misunderstood teenager, is accused of abuse by her father and sent to a juvenile detention center.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
From the fetid and overcrowded cells of the town’s migrant detention center, officers pick out a Sudanese man who had been arrested the day before.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Lawyers and relatives of detainees have described it as an unofficial detention center, and protesters have held tense demonstrations outside for several weeks.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
During the visit in August, a guard stood outside the main entrance of the detention center in San Vicente.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention center
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John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
From the fetid and overcrowded cells of the town’s migrant detention center, officers pick out a Sudanese man who had been arrested the day before.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Lawyers and relatives of detainees have described it as an unofficial detention center, and protesters have held tense demonstrations outside for several weeks.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
During the visit in August, a guard stood outside the main entrance of the detention center in San Vicente.
—Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention center
Cite this Entry
“Detention center.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention%20center. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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