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
NBC4reported that federal officers are taking some demonstrators into custody near the detention center and have deployed tear gas.
—
Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
All detention center contracts will require Mullin's approval, by virtue of their size.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
During a Fourth of July protest outside an Alvarado detention center, at which demonstrators were setting off fireworks, an assailant fired a gun, wounding a police officer.
—Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles, authorities deployed tear gas near a federal detention center downtown.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention center
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
All detention center contracts will require Mullin's approval, by virtue of their size.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
During a Fourth of July protest outside an Alvarado detention center, at which demonstrators were setting off fireworks, an assailant fired a gun, wounding a police officer.
—Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
In Los Angeles, authorities deployed tear gas near a federal detention center downtown.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
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 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
