detention: Meaning and Definition of

de•ten•tion

Pronunciation: (di-ten'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. the act of detaining.
  2. the state of being detained.
  3. maintenance of a person in custody or confinement, esp. while awaiting a court decision.
  4. the withholding of what belongs to or is claimed by another.
—adj.
  1. of or pertaining to detention or used to detain: the detention room of a police station.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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