protective custody

noun

: a safe place under police watch
The witness is in protective custody.

Examples of protective custody in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His lawyer, Edward Mandery, requested that his client be placed in protective custody, citing concerns about his safety amid intense media attention. — Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026 The girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, police said. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026 The children were taken into protective custody by county social workers after Aurora was hospitalized. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 There were six other children in the home at the time, aged 2 months to 17, who have since been put into protective custody. — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for protective custody

Browse Nearby Words

protective cover
protective custody
protective deck
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Cite this Entry

“Protective custody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protective%20custody. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Legal Definition

protective custody

see also:
custody sense c
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