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
The city's government, businesses, and local advocacy groups responded by informing immigrants of their rights and providing resources to protect against detention.
—
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Passha Davis is being held in a Broward County detention facility on a child neglect charge.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
But men who had no criminal convictions, and sometimes only had one pending misdemeanor charge, were in ICE detention, not in any county jails or state prisons.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 13 Nov. 2025
That’s the main conclusion of a new report from a consulting firm that Metro Council hired to scrutinize the city’s detention facility.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
Passha Davis is being held in a Broward County detention facility on a child neglect charge.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
But men who had no criminal convictions, and sometimes only had one pending misdemeanor charge, were in ICE detention, not in any county jails or state prisons.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 13 Nov. 2025
That’s the main conclusion of a new report from a consulting firm that Metro Council hired to scrutinize the city’s detention facility.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Nov. 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 20 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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