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
The Trump administration has held discussions with several countries about taking in U.S. detainees who lack legal status and cannot be returned to their home countries due to safety risks or fears of persecution.
—
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Chu said she was rebuffed by the Department of Homeland Security in seeking information on the conditions where the detainees were being held.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
After he was arrested, Colindres was spirited out to the Butler County jail, where Sheriff Richard Jones said about 450 immigrant detainees were being held after the sheriff’s office agreed to partner with the Trump administration.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 19 June 2025
In late 2021, CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees in its Leavenworth facility after then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to curb the use of private prisons.
—John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
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Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Chu said she was rebuffed by the Department of Homeland Security in seeking information on the conditions where the detainees were being held.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
After he was arrested, Colindres was spirited out to the Butler County jail, where Sheriff Richard Jones said about 450 immigrant detainees were being held after the sheriff’s office agreed to partner with the Trump administration.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 19 June 2025
In late 2021, CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees in its Leavenworth facility after then-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to curb the use of private prisons.
—John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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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