Detain
verb 3rd person singular: detains | present participle: detaining | past tense: detained | past participle: detained
Definition
1. To officially prevent someone from leaving a place.
2. To delay someone from leaving.
2. To delay someone from leaving.
Context Alive
The border officers looked at his passport carefully, then at his face, then back at the passport. Something wasn’t right. They asked him to step aside and follow them to a small room. For the next three hours, they detained him for questioning, checking his documents and making phone calls while he sat nervously wondering what would happen next.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 To officially hold someone and prevent them from leaving — COMMON Common ▼
When authorities detain someone, they keep that person in an official place like a police station or prison. Imagine police officers who detain a suspect for questioning, taking him to the station and keeping him there until they get answers. You might hear “He was detained at the airport” or “They detained her for 48 hours.” Or think about news reports saying protesters were detained by police during a demonstration, held in custody until things calmed down.
Vivid ExampleImmigration officers detained the traveler for several hours after finding problems with his visa, eventually releasing him once everything was sorted out.
2 To delay someone from leaving — formal — LESS COMMON Common ▼
In formal language, detain can simply mean keeping someone longer than expected. Imagine your boss calling to say she’ll be late because she’s been detained at a meeting that’s running over. You might say “I won’t detain you any longer” when finishing a conversation, politely letting someone go. Or think about apologizing with “Sorry I’m late — I was detained at the office,” meaning something held you back.
Vivid ExampleThe professor was unavoidably detained by an emergency faculty meeting, so class started twenty minutes late with a substitute covering the first part.
Examples from the Street
“The police detained him for questioning.”
The officers held him officially while they asked him about the incident
“Sorry I’m late — I was detained at the office.”
Apologies for being behind schedule — I was held up at work
“They were detained at the border for several hours.”
They were held at the crossing point by officials for a long time
Common Patterns
detain someone for questioning → hold someone officially to ask them questions
detain someone without charge → hold someone officially without formal accusation
be detained by police/authorities → be held by officials
be detained at the border/airport → be held by immigration officials
detain someone indefinitely → hold someone with no set release date
be detained (at work/in a meeting) → be delayed or held up somewhere
I won’t detain you long → I won’t keep you or take up much of your time
sorry to detain you → apologising for keeping someone waiting
be detained for [time period] → be held for a specific length of time
be detained on suspicion of → be held because of suspected involvement in
be unlawfully/illegally detained → be held without legal justification
Collocations
3 collocationsdetained by police
held in custody by law enforcement
detained at the border
stopped and held when trying to enter a country
unlawfully detained
held without legal justification
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The police detained three suspects for questioning about the robbery
Officers held three individuals while they asked them about the theft.
2
He was detained at the airport because of a problem with his visa
He was held at the travel terminal due to an issue with his entry permit.
3
The journalist was detained without charge for over a week
The reporter was held by authorities with no formal accusation for more than seven days.
4
I apologise for being late — I was detained in a meeting that ran over
I’m sorry for my tardiness — I was held up in a discussion that went longer than planned.
5
I won’t detain you long — I just have a quick question
I won’t keep you for much time — I simply have a brief enquiry.
6
The activists were detained on suspicion of planning an illegal protest
The campaigners were held because officials suspected them of organising an unlawful demonstration.
7
Security guards can detain shoplifters until the police arrive
Store protection staff can hold people caught stealing until officers get there.
8
The government has the power to detain terror suspects indefinitely
The authorities have the legal ability to hold people suspected of terrorism with no set release date.
9
She claimed she had been unlawfully detained and demanded compensation
She asserted that she had been held without legal justification and sought financial redress.
10
Thousands of migrants have been detained at the border in recent months
Thousands of people trying to enter the country have been held at the frontier in recent weeks.
Learner Examples
★
I apologise for missing class yesterday — I was detained at the immigration office renewing my student visa
I’m sorry for being absent from the lesson yesterday — I was held up at the government building sorting out my study permit.
★
The teacher detained the misbehaving students after class to discuss their behaviour
The instructor kept the poorly-behaved pupils behind after the lesson to talk about how they had acted.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymshold
keeping someone in custody
arrest
taking someone into police custody
confine
restricting someone's freedom
keep
not letting someone leave
Antonymsrelease
letting someone go free
free
giving someone their liberty