noun

detention

dih-TEN-shuhn/dɪˈtenʃn/

The compulsory keeping of someone in a place.

The woman's detention keeps her behind a locked door in the holding cell.

An older woman sits on a fixed bench inside a locked holding cell, visibly separated from the empty corridor by a closed barred door and solid lock housing.

Etymology

deLatinfrom, away

+tentLatinto hold

+ionLatinact or process

The combination meant holding back or withholding. Applied to people, this became confinement or custody—the act of keeping someone from leaving, including as a punishment.

In context

LastWeekTonight28:37

Locking kids up by the hundreds of thousands just isn't the answer to that. Detention actually increases the likelihood that youth will be arrested and punished later on.

Juvenile Justice: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

More examples

Students who skip class may receive detention.
Her lawyer challenges the legality of her detention.
He serves two detentions for repeatedly disrupting class.

Forms

detention · detentions

detain verb — To hold someone back or in custody.

detainee noun — A person held in official custody.

Similar words

custody: Emphasizes official control or supervision, usually by legal authorities.
imprisonment: Specifically means confinement in prison, often after a criminal conviction.
confinement: Covers being kept within limits, not necessarily by legal authority.