detainment

de·tain

 (dĭ-tān′)

tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains

1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard: Our friends were detained by heavy traffic.

2. To keep in custody or confinement: The police detained several suspects for questioning.

3. Archaic To retain or withhold (payment or property, for example).

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[Middle English deteinen, from Old French detenir, from Vulgar Latin *dētenīre, from Latin dētinēre : dē-, de- + tenēre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

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de·tain′ment n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

detainment - 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, detention, hold confinement - the state of being confined; "he was held in confinement"

detainment

noun

The condition or fact of being made late or slow:

delay, holdup, lag, retardation.

Translations

detenzione