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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The facility has been under near-constant lockdowns, leaving detainees confined to their cells for extended periods without access to visits, phone calls, showers, or recreation. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 But Harris is correct in noting that similar federal policies were in place under Trump’s presidency, both for immigrant detainees and federal prisoners. Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024 Handcuffed and in an orange detainee shirt, the preacher was almost unrecognizable underneath a bulletproof helmet and vest. Reuters, NBC News, 13 Sep. 2024 During Hasina’s rule, detainees were subjected to torture at a network of other secret centres across the country, run by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Detective Branch of the police, according to Odhikar, a Bangladeshi human rights organization. Rebecca Wright, CNN, 3 Sep. 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 18 Nov. 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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