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
His wife also works for the Cherokee County detention center and his son-in-law works for the sheriff's office.
—
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 1 July 2025
The detention center is set to open in less than 24 hours at its roughly half-capacity of 5,000 beds.
—Morgan Kromer, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
But DeSantis indicated that plans for the detention center should not have taken anyone by surprise.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
The state-run facility has ignited a wave of condemnation, with environmentalists suing Florida over the detention center.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
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.
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 1 July 2025
The detention center is set to open in less than 24 hours at its roughly half-capacity of 5,000 beds.
—Morgan Kromer, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
But DeSantis indicated that plans for the detention center should not have taken anyone by surprise.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025
The state-run facility has ignited a wave of condemnation, with environmentalists suing Florida over the detention center.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share