verb · formal
detain
/dɪˈteɪn/de·TAIN
to keep someone in official custody, especially for questioning or to prevent them leaving
Examples
“The police detained two suspects overnight for questioning.”
“Officers may detain you for a short period without charging you.”
“He was detained at the airport because of a security alert.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although the police detained several witnesses overnight, only one was later formally arrested after new evidence emerged.”
Collocations
- detain for questioning
- detained by the police
- detention centre
Word family
Common mistakes
He was arrested for two hours and then released.→He was detained for two hours and then released.
They detained him without any reason and charged him.→They detained him without charge.
Say it for a higher band
5hold→6keep→7+detain
Synonyms
hold
Easily confused
arrest
“He was detained for questioning but was not formally arrested.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Crime & Law
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