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
In a rare weekend ruling, Supreme Court justices blocked the Trump administration's plans to deport a group of Venezuelans held at a detention facility in Texas.
—
CBS News, 20 Apr. 2025
In Los Angeles, demonstrators protesting the Trump administration’s deportation policies rallied outside a downtown Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
—Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Immigrant women describe 'hell on earth' in ICE detention
What is the Trump administration's view on birthright citizenship?
—Terry Moseley, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
He was sentenced in February 2024 to 75 days in prison and 24 months of supervised release, which included 60 days of home detention.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
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.
CBS News, 20 Apr. 2025
In Los Angeles, demonstrators protesting the Trump administration’s deportation policies rallied outside a downtown Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
—Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Immigrant women describe 'hell on earth' in ICE detention
What is the Trump administration's view on birthright citizenship?
—Terry Moseley, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
He was sentenced in February 2024 to 75 days in prison and 24 months of supervised release, which included 60 days of home detention.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share