detention: Meaning and Definition of
de•ten•tion
Pronunciation: (di-ten'shun), [key]
— n.
- the act of detaining.
- the state of being detained.
- maintenance of a person in custody or confinement, esp. while awaiting a court decision.
- the withholding of what belongs to or is claimed by another.
—adj.
- 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.