detainee

noun

de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons

Examples of detainee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
These included conspiracy to mete out cruel and inhuman treatment to civilian detainees, including U.S. citizens, during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024 Key Background Thousands of detainees fled Syrian prisons this week after Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown over the weekend. Ty Roush, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 At the Court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. Sarah El Deeb, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024 The release of detainees underscores the deep scars left by the Assad regime's reign of terror. Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for detainee 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of detainee was circa 1928

Dictionary Entries Near detainee

Cite this Entry

“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

detainee

noun
de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
: a person who is detained
especially : a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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