English Reference
Noun

detainee

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˌditeɪˈni/ UK /dɪtˈeɪniː/ de·tainee UK spelling detainees

n.a person who is being held in a place like a prison or a police station. This is a formal word often used in news reports or legal documents.

n.a person who is being held in custody, typically by a government or law enforcement agency. Often used in legal or journalistic contexts to describe individuals in a neutral or official capacity.


SIMPLE

The detainee was released after the police finished their investigation.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer met with the detainee to discuss the charges and prepare a defense strategy.

COMPLEX

International human rights organizations monitored the conditions of the detainee to ensure that the facility met the minimum standards for humane treatment and medical care.

Judge Jorge Zapatero Soria charged the detainee with an environmental crime, which is punishable by up to six years in prison.

The Local· 19 Aug 2026

As of this month, around 1,300 detainees from Gaza were being held in Israeli jails without charge or trial, according to the Israeli human rights group HaMoked.

BBC News· 19 Aug 2026

From detain + -ee.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated