detention
n.-
1 legal or political custody (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Lawthe 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.
ExampleThe suspect was held in detention for twenty-four hours while the police gathered more evidence.
ExampleThe 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'.
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2 school punishment (n.) B1 Intermediatea 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.
ExampleThe teacher gave him a detention because he kept talking during the lesson.
ExampleAfter 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'.
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3 delaying or holding back (n.) C1 Advanced Formalthe 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.
ExampleThe detention of the ship at the port caused the company to lose a lot of money.
ExampleThe unexpected detention of the diplomatic convoy at the border led to a minor international incident.
Borrowed from Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion.