DETENTION Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

detention

noun

di-ˈten-chən

Definition of detention

as in imprisonment

the state of being held in lawful custody he's been in detention since the arrest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in delay

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of detention These young people have defied prohibitions on protest, breached draconian security clampdowns, and endured detentions to relentlessly question the government’s authority. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 In the complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that immigration detentions at courthouses in California have spiked in recent months despite a court order in a different case barring the practice. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 What was supposed to be a family vacation to Disneyland turned into two weeks in immigration detention for a Delaware County, Pennsylvania, nurse who was separated from her husband and 3-year-old son. — Josh Sanders, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 The arrest and detention of domestic violence victims is, in part, an unanticipated consequence of an effort meant to keep them safe. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detention

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention

Noun

According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.

— Mitch Picasso, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
For some, the potential release of thousands of prisoners doesn’t go far enough to repair the damage of their prolonged imprisonment.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The freight forwarder said Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Port is congested with 10-to-12-day landside delays after cargo is discharged.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of delay

Noun

Those with misdemeanors can vote or if the person has an unsentenced status with no prior felony conviction unless voting rights have been restored following the release from incarceration for the felony conviction.

— Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
The first half of Fielder and Oppenheim’s film chronicles the 34 days leading up to the incarceration of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood-testing technology company Theranos.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of incarceration

Browse Nearby Words

détentes

detention

detentions

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Style

“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of detention

noun

Example Sentences

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