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
Synonyms
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
Brad Spafford was charged earlier in the month on a gun violation, but in a detention memo filed on Monday, prosecutors in Virginia outlined something allegedly more alarming.
—
Luke Barr, ABC News, 1 Jan. 2025
Arizona prison capacity could be factor in enforcement Law enforcement officials intending to make Proposition 314 arrests may need to take into account how much detention bed space is available.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2024
They were criticized by immigration advocates and pediatricians who said detention was harmful for children.
—Nick Miroff The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 27 Dec. 2024
In addition, detentions on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since the start of the war.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detention 
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Luke Barr, ABC News, 1 Jan. 2025
Arizona prison capacity could be factor in enforcement Law enforcement officials intending to make Proposition 314 arrests may need to take into account how much detention bed space is available.
—Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2024
They were criticized by immigration advocates and pediatricians who said detention was harmful for children.
—Nick Miroff The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 27 Dec. 2024
In addition, detentions on charges of spying and collecting sensitive data have become increasingly frequent in Russia since the start of the war.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detention
Dictionary Entries Near detention
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention. Accessed 16 Jan. 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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