detention
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the state of being kept in a police station or prison, especially while waiting for a trial.
the act of keeping someone in official custody, typically for legal or political reasons. Often uncountable when referring to the state of being held.
Simple“The suspect was held in detention for twenty-four hours while the police gathered more evidence.”
In context“The international human rights group expressed grave concern regarding the prolonged detention of political activists without a formal trial.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'in detention' or 'detention centre'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a punishment where a student must stay at school after the other students have gone home.
a form of disciplinary action in schools where a student is required to remain in a designated area during non-instructional time.
Simple“The teacher gave him a detention because he kept talking during the lesson.”
In context“After repeatedly failing to submit his assignments on time, the student was assigned a Saturday morning detention as a final warning.”
UsageCommonly used with the verbs 'give', 'get', or 'serve'.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
the act of delaying someone or stopping them from moving forward.
the act of delaying or hindering someone or something. This sense is less common in modern speech and usually refers to physical obstruction.
Simple“The detention of the ship at the port caused the company to lose a lot of money.”
In context“The unexpected detention of the diplomatic convoy at the border led to a minor international incident.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“Türk deplored the mandatory detention clause, which breaks from the current practice of holding child offenders in education-based institutions .”
“A man dressed up as a pickle shouts at counter-protesters through a megaphone during a protest against a new ICE detention center in the small town of Appleton, Minnesota, in August.”
Borrowed from Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.