detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən 
1
: the act or fact of detaining or holding back
especially
: a holding in custody
2
: the state of being detained
especially
: a period of temporary custody prior to disposition by a court
Examples of detention in a Sentence
the detention of suspected terrorists
The jail is only used for brief detentions.
They both got three detentions this year.
He got detention for being late to class.
Recent Examples on the Web
The detention immigration facility is located in an idle airstrip found within the Florida Everglades, about 40 miles west of Miami International Airport and halfway to Naples.
—
Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
The message came over a jail video call between an attorney and her client locked away in immigration detention.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 30 June 2025
Rosalina's detention has left her children traumatized and without the daily care and love that only a mother can give.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
At his second federal hearing, on Friday morning, Boelter’s detention and preliminary hearing was rescheduled to Wednesday after his legal team requested a continuance, CBS News reported.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
The message came over a jail video call between an attorney and her client locked away in immigration detention.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 30 June 2025
Rosalina's detention has left her children traumatized and without the daily care and love that only a mother can give.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
At his second federal hearing, on Friday morning, Boelter’s detention and preliminary hearing was rescheduled to Wednesday after his legal team requested a continuance, CBS News reported.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detention
noun
de·ten·tion
di-ˈten-chən
: the act of detaining : the state of being detained: as
a
: temporary custody before a trial
b
: the punishment of being kept in after school
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