detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē 
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons
Examples of detainee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
Those lawsuits include other detainees who say they were denied medication or had treatment delayed for conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, epilepsy, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes, infections, depression and more.
—CBS News, 9 June 2026
The agencies wasted millions more because it was contracted to pay the cost of meals for the camp’s maximum population of 5,000, even when the number of detainees there dropped to around 1,600, the report said.
—Michael Biesecker, Fortune, 9 June 2026
In January 2026, a detainee's death at the facility was ruled a homicide by asphyxia.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 June 2026
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Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
Those lawsuits include other detainees who say they were denied medication or had treatment delayed for conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, epilepsy, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes, infections, depression and more.
—CBS News, 9 June 2026
The agencies wasted millions more because it was contracted to pay the cost of meals for the camp’s maximum population of 5,000, even when the number of detainees there dropped to around 1,600, the report said.
—Michael Biesecker, Fortune, 9 June 2026
In January 2026, a detainee's death at the facility was ruled a homicide by asphyxia.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē
: a person who is detained
especially
: a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing
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