- [uncountable, countable] the state of being kept in a place, especially a prison, and prevented from leaving
- They were sentenced to 12 months' detention in a young offender institution.
- police powers of arrest and detention
- allegations of torture and detention without trial
- Prisoners have the right to challenge their detentions.
- a detention camp
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentc1- He made the confession while under detention.
- They were held in detention from 2011 to 2021.
- If found guilty of smuggling drugs, she could face indefinite detention.
- Lawyers argued that she should be allowed to serve her detention in her home country.
- Opponents of the regime had been subject to arbitrary detention, torture and execution.
- She spent 18 years in detention.
- Suspects were placed in preventive detention.
- The judge will fix the period of detention.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- arbitrary
- pretrial
- indefinite
- …
- be in
- remain in
- hold somebody in
- …
- camp
- centre/center
- facility
- …
- in detention
- under detention
- a period of detention
- a term of detention
- [uncountable, countable] the punishment of being kept at school for a time after other students have gone home
- They can’t give me (a) detention for this.
Extra ExamplesTopics Educationc1- Persistent latecomers will be given detention.
- My first day of school, and I have detention.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- arbitrary
- pretrial
- indefinite
- …
- be in
- remain in
- hold somebody in
- …
- camp
- centre/center
- facility
- …
- in detention
- under detention
- a period of detention
- a term of detention
see also detain
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘withholding of what is claimed or due’): from late Latin detentio(n-), from Latin detinere ‘hold back’, from de- ‘away, aside’ + tenere ‘to hold’.
Check pronunciation:
detention