de·ten·tion

(dĭ-tĕn′shən)

1. The act of detaining.

2. The state or a period of being detained, especially:

a. A period of temporary custody while awaiting trial.

b. A holding of a person in custody or confinement by authorities for political or military reasons.

c. A form of punishment by which a student is made to stay after regular school hours.

[Middle English detencioun, act of withholding, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin dētentiō, dētentiōn-, from dētentus, past participle of dētinēre, to detain; see detain.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

detention

(dɪˈtɛnʃən)

1. the act of detaining or state of being detained

2. (Law)

a. custody or confinement, esp of a suspect awaiting trial

b. (as modifier): a detention order.

3. (Education) a form of punishment in which a pupil is detained after school

4. the withholding of something belonging to or claimed by another

[C16: from Latin dētentiō a keeping back; see detain]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•ten•tion

(dɪˈtɛn ʃən)

n.

1. the act of detaining or the state of being detained.

2. maintenance of a person in custody or confinement, as while awaiting a court decision.

3. the keeping of a student after school hours as a punishment.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin dētentiō=dēten-, variant s. of dētinēre (see detain) + -tiō -tion]

detention

Time spent by a student in school after classes, imposed as a punishment.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	detention - 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" custody, detainment, hold confinement - the state of being confined; "he was held in confinement"
	2.	detention - a punishment in which a student must stay at school after others have gone home; "the detention of tardy pupils" penalisation, penalization, penalty, punishment - the act of punishing

detention

noun imprisonment, custody, restraint, keeping in, quarantine, confinement, porridge (slang), incarceration the detention without trial of government critics
release, freedom, liberty, liberation, discharge, acquittal, emancipation

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

detention

noun

The state of being detained by legal authority:

charge, confinement, custody, ward.

Translations

حَجْزحَجْز، إحْتِجاز، تَوْقيف

vazbazadržení

detentionforvaringtilbageholdelse

Arrest Haft Inhaftierung Knast

κράτηση

detención arresto

vankeus

détention arrestation

pritvor

varîhald

detenzione fermo il trattenere per punizione arresto

拘留

구류

aizturēšanaarests

detentie

anholdelse internering

areszt

detenção

арест задержка

kvarsittning

การควบคุมตัว

gözaltına almatutuklanma

sự giam cầm

拘留

detention

[dɪˈtenʃən]

A. N [of criminal, spy] → detención f, arresto m; [of schoolchild] → castigo m
to get a detention → quedarse castigado después de clase

B. CPD detention centre, detention center (US) N → centro m de detención
detention home N (US) → centro m de rehabilitación

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

detention

[dɪˈtɛnʃ^ən] n

(= imprisonment) → détention f
to be held in detention → être en détention

(= school punishment) → retenue f, colle f
30 minutes' detention → trente minutes de colle, trente minutes de retenue
to get a detention → être collé(e)
to be in detention → être en retenue
to keep sb in detention → garder qn en retenuedetention centre (British) detention home (US) n (for illegal immigrants) → centre m de rétention

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

detention

(= captivity) → Haft f, → Gewahrsam m; (= act) → Festnahme f; (Mil) → Arrest m; (Sch) → Nachsitzen nt; to give a pupil two hours’ detention → einen Schüler zwei Stunden nachsitzen lassen; he’s in detention (Sch) → er sitzt nach

(= being held up, delayed) → Verzögerung f, → Aufenthalt m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

detention

[dɪˈtɛnʃ/ən] n (of criminal, spy) → detenzione f; (of schoolchild) → punizione f (trattenendo l'alunno alla fine delle lezioni)

detention

(-ˈten-) noun

the state of being imprisoned. The criminals are in detention.

detention

→ حَجْز vazba tilbageholdelse Inhaftierung κράτηση arresto, detención vankeus détention pritvor detenzione 拘留 구류 detentie anholdelse areszt detenção арест kvarsittning การควบคุมตัว gözaltına alma sự giam cầm 拘留

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

It must evidently be, then, a gun of great range, since the length of the piece will increase the detention of the gas accumulated behind the projectile; but there is no advantage in passing certain limits."

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Hugh, deeming it possible that Barnaby was in the hands of the soldiers, and at that moment under detention at The Boot, was for advancing stealthily, and firing the house; but his companions, who objected to such rash measures unless they had a crowd at their backs, represented that if Barnaby were taken he had assuredly been removed to a stronger prison; they would never have dreamed of keeping him all night in a place so weak and open to attack.

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My only hope was to induce the natives to believe that I was reconciled to my detention in the valley, and by assuming a tranquil and cheerful demeanour, to allay the suspicions which I had so unfortunately aroused.

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"We'll have to sacrifice every thing not absolutely indispensable; I am anxious, at all hazards, to avoid a detention in these regions.

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Ah Moy got no farther ashore than the detention sheds of the Federal Immigration Board, whence he was deported to China on the next Pacific Mail steamer.

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Or (as Cecilia suggested) had his detention at the school so bitterly disappointed him that he was too disheartened to write at any length?

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As soon as he recovered, I related our compulsory visit, and detention at the Heights.

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Then, chart in hand, we reviewed the travels of the French navigator, his voyages of circumnavigation, his double detention at the South Pole, which led to the discovery of Adelaide and Louis Philippe, and fixing the hydrographical bearings of the principal islands of Oceania.

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It must be observed that as a separate passage led to the first floor, in which D'Artagnan lodged, those who called on him were exempted from this detention.

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"I am no longer surprised at my detention," murmured Dantes, "since my only protector is removed."

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"That is hardly possible," said Aramis, carried away by his feelings in spite of himself; "if you were really ignorant of the cause of your detention, you would be furious."

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They promised, as usual, that the ship should never experience a moment's detention on their account, but, as usual, forgot their promise.

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