Dictionary

detain en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈteɪn/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Old French detenir. Doublet of détente. Cognate with Italian detenere, Portuguese deter, Romanian deține, and Spanish detener.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To keep something from proceeding or coming to completion; to delay.
2. (transitive) To keep someone from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
3. (archaic, transitive) To keep back or from; to withhold.
   • Detain not the wages of the hireling: […] 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “Of Christian Justice”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC, section III (Of Negotiation, or Civil Contracts), page 208:
   • Upon which account ’tis that the Juice of ripe pulpy Apples, as Pippins, Rennetings, &c. that are of a ſyrupy tenacious nature, do detain in them more of the diſperſed particles of the Fruit that by the Preſſure comes out with the Liquor; […] 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, “Some Observations Relating to Cyder”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC, page 594:
4. (transitive) To put someone under custody.
   • In April of 2009, however, the disease was found to suddenly no longer be appearing in newly-hatched chickens, and, upon review, it was discovered that Dr. Wildcat had modified 6002 without authorization, removing the disease from the genome. She's detained and questioned by Muller, and, even though she tries to lie that she didn't do anything, they have footage of her ascending the tree on her own. 2021 August 16, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-6002 - All Creatures Great and Small” (19:06 from the start), in The Exploring Series, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2023:
5. (transitive) To seize goods for official purposes.

Forms

Deriveds

detention · detainee · detainingly · detainable · redetain · detainment · detainer

Synonyms

hold back · delay · hinder · impede · retard

Translations (89)

fr détenir (put under custody) · mi tātāwhi (keep someone from proceeding) · bg удържа (seize goods for official purposes) · bg удържам (keep back or from) · sh задр̀жати (put under custody) · ru задержа́ть (put under custody) · la dētineō (keep someone from proceeding) · hi पकड़ना (put under custody) · ro reține (put under custody) · bg задържа́ (put under custody) · ga coinnigh (put under custody) · da tilbageholde (put under custody) · uk затри́мати (put under custody) · be затрыма́ць (put under custody) · sk zadržať (put under custody) · bg задържа́ (keep someone from proceeding) · sv internera (put under custody) · la teneo (put under custody) · cmn 拘禁 (put under custody) · es detener (keep someone from proceeding) · km កាក់ (put under custody) · th กักขัง (put under custody) · lo ກັກ (put under custody) · ru заде́рживать (put under custody) · lo ກັກຂັງ (put under custody) · cmn 拘留 (put under custody) · bg удържам (seize goods for official purposes) · mi tautāwhi (keep back or from) · fr arrêter (put under custody) · mk задржи (put under custody) · el κατάσχω (seize goods for official purposes) · el καθυστερώ (keep someone from proceeding) · ca detenir (put under custody) · gl deter (put under custody) · fi pidättää (put under custody) · pl zatrzymywać (put under custody) · sh zadr̀žati (put under custody) · es detener (put under custody) · sv häkta (put under custody) · sh задржа́вати (put under custody) · bg задъ́ржам (put under custody) · pt deter (put under custody) · it trattenere (put under custody) · hi रोकना (put under custody) · de aufhalten (keep someone from proceeding) · cs zadržovat (put under custody) · mk задржува (put under custody) · it detenere (put under custody) · es detener (keep back or from) · bg удържа (keep back or from) · eo reteni (put under custody) · be затры́мліваць (put under custody) · th กักตัว (put under custody) · vi giam cầm (put under custody) · bg задъ́ржам (keep someone from proceeding) · cmn 扣押 (put under custody) · sv gripa (put under custody) · ca detindre (put under custody) · cs zadržet (put under custody) · el κρατώ (put under custody) · sh zadržávati (put under custody) · hu őrizetbe vesz (put under custody) · cmn 看押 (put under custody) · ar اِعْتَقَلَ (put under custody) · vi giam (put under custody) · be задзе́ржваць (put under custody) · uk затри́мувати (put under custody) · km បង្ក្រៀក (put under custody) · de verhaften (put under custody) · sl pridržati (put under custody) · sl pridrževati (put under custody) · km បង្ខាំង (put under custody) · be затрымо́ўваць (put under custody) · zza tewfiq kerden (put under custody) · fi pidättää (keep back or from) · th กัก (put under custody) · ja 引き留める (put under custody) · ko 구류하다 (put under custody) · pl zatrzymać (put under custody) · ga coimeád (put under custody) · nl detineren (put under custody) · cmn 扣留 (put under custody) · tr gözaltına almak (put under custody) · vi cầm giữ (put under custody) · fi takavarikoida (seize goods for official purposes) · ja 拘留する (put under custody) · es detener (seize goods for official purposes) · fi pidätellä (keep someone from proceeding) · sk zadržiavať (put under custody)