Synonyms of detention

detention

noun

di-ˈten-chən 

1

as in imprisonment

the state of being held in lawful custody

he's been in detention since the arrest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imprisonment
• incarceration
• captivity
• confinement
• internment
• detainment
• detainer
• arrest
• hold
• immurement
• seizure
• apprehension
• collar
• capture
• restraint
• arrestment
• entrapment
• pinch
• bust
• enchainment

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discharge
• release
• freedom
• liberation
• emancipation

2

as in delay

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business

the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delay
• wait
• holdup
• detainment
• postponement
• deferral
• deferment
• setback
• respite
• holding pattern
• pause
• hesitation
• holdback
• lag
• slowdown
• reprieve
• foot-dragging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rush
• haste
• dispatch
• promptness
• promptitude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of detention

These young people have defied prohibitions on protest, breached draconian security clampdowns, and endured detentions to relentlessly question the government’s authority. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

In the complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that immigration detentions at courthouses in California have spiked in recent months despite a court order in a different case barring the practice. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

What was supposed to be a family vacation to Disneyland turned into two weeks in immigration detention for a Delaware County, Pennsylvania, nurse who was separated from her husband and 3-year-old son. — Josh Sanders, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

The arrest and detention of domestic violence victims is, in part, an unanticipated consequence of an effort meant to keep them safe. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026