What does detention mean?
Definitions for detention
dɪˈtɛn ʃənde·ten·tion
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word detention.
Princeton's WordNet
detention, detainment, hold, custodynoun
a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
"his detention was politically motivated"; "the prisoner is on hold"; "he is in the custody of police"
detentionnoun
a punishment in which a student must stay at school after others have gone home
"the detention of tardy pupils"
Wiktionary
detentionnoun
The act of detaining or the state of being detained.
detentionnoun
A temporary state of custody or confinement, especially of a prisoner awaiting trial, or of a student being punished.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Detentionnoun
Etymology: from detain.
How goes the world, that I am thus encountred
With clam’rous claims of debt, of broken bonds,
And the detention of long since due debts,
Against my honour? William Shakespeare, Timon.This worketh by detention of the spirits, and constipation of the tangible parts. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 341.
ChatGPT
detention
Detention is a state of being confined, restrained, or held back, often used in a legal context to refer to someone who is held in custody by law enforcement. Detention can also refer to a disciplinary measure in educational settings where students are required to stay after school or during breaks as punishment for misbehavior.
Webster Dictionary
Detentionnoun
the act of detaining or keeping back; a withholding
Detentionnoun
the state of being detained (stopped or hindered); delay from necessity
Detentionnoun
confinement; restraint; custody
Etymology: [L. detentio: cf. F. dtention. See Detain.]
Wikidata
Detention
Detention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property. Being detained does not always result in being taken to a particular area, either for interrogation, or as punishment for a crime. The term can also be used in reference to the holding of property, for the same reasons. The process of detainment may or may not have been preceded or followed with an arrest. The prisoners in Guantánamo Bay are for example referred to as "detainees". Detainee is a term used by certain governments and their military to refer to individuals held in custody, such as those it does not classify and treat as either prisoners of war or suspects in criminal cases. It is used to refer to "any person captured or otherwise detained by an armed force." More generally, it is "someone held in custody." Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile." In wars between nations, detainees are referenced in the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Detention
de-ten′shun, n. act of detaining: state of being detained: confinement: delay.—n. Detent′, something to check motion: a catch, esp. in a clock or watch. [See Detain.]
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of detention in Chaldean Numerology is: 4
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of detention in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of detention in a Sentence
We are here because children being held in detention don't have a voice.
The United States is very grateful to the Government of Italy for its continued assistance in closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
Thanakorn's secret detention should set off flashing red lights – especially since the Thai authorities failed to resolve two recent deaths of detainees in military custody, thailand's junta has increasingly flouted international legal protections by holding civilian detainees incommunicado in military camps.
We strongly condemn the arbitrary conditions of their detention, which reflect the brutality with which the military junta treats journalists.
At present, we're seeing situations where children and teenagers are being detained in some cases in detention centers, it's really crucial that the authorities in these countries do have the necessary resources and means to provide viable alternatives to these children.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for detention
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- اعتقالArabic
- арестуване, задържанеBulgarian
- zadrženíCzech
- tilbageholdelseDanish
- Nachsitzen, Gewahrsam, HaftGerman
- arestoEsperanto
- detenciónSpanish
- pidätysFinnish
- détention, arrestationFrench
- coinneáilIrish
- निरोधHindi
- fogva tartásHungarian
- penahananIndonesian
- detenzioneItalian
- ריתוקHebrew
- 拘置, 拘留, 抑留Japanese
- detencioneLatin
- hechtenisDutch
- fengslingNorwegian
- aresztowaniePolish
- detençãoPortuguese
- detenţieRomanian
- содержание под стражей, оставление, задержание, арестRussian
- kvarsittning, häktning, häkteSwedish
- gozaltıTurkish
- giam giữVietnamese
- 拘留Chinese
Get even more translations for detention »
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"detention." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 13 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/detention>.
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