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.
Israel released more than 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in return, in the fifth such exchange, including some that are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis. Jerome Socolovsky, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025 Ultimately, it was decided that ICE would continue to have legal custody over the detainees in Guantanamo Bay, pending their deportation. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2025 The commission cited arbitrary arrests, lack of evidence against detainees, mass hearings and limited access to defense lawyers as key concerns. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025 During the Biden administration, Guantanamo Bay got down to just 15 detainees after 11 were transferred out and sent to Oman, a long-time U.S. ally in the Middle East. Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2025 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 Feb. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on detainee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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