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Detainment: meaning, definitions and examples

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detainment

 

[ dɪˈteɪnmənt ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

law enforcement

The action of detaining someone in official custody, especially as a political prisoner.

Synonyms

custody, imprisonment, incarceration

Examples of usage

  • The detainment of political activists sparked international outrage.
  • She was subjected to hours of detainment at the airport.

Translations

Translations of the word "detainment" in other languages:

🇵🇹 detenção

🇮🇳 नजरबंदी

🇩🇪 Festnahme

🇮🇩 penahanan

🇺🇦 утримання

🇵🇱 zatrzymanie

🇯🇵 拘留 (こうりゅう)

🇫🇷 détention

🇪🇸 detención

🇹🇷 gözaltı

🇰🇷 구금 (拘禁)

🇸🇦 احتجاز

🇨🇿 zadržení

🇸🇰 zadržanie

🇨🇳 拘留

🇸🇮 pridržanje

🇮🇸 halds

🇰🇿 ұстау

🇬🇪 დაკავება

🇦🇿 həbs

🇲🇽 detención

Etymology

The word 'detainment' originated from the verb 'detain', which comes from the Old French word 'détenir', meaning 'to hold back'. The concept of detainment has been present in various legal systems throughout history, with the purpose of holding individuals in custody for various reasons such as investigations, questioning, or imprisonment.

See also: detain, detained, detainee, detainees, detention.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #38,358, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.