detention
B2Formal in legal/official contexts; neutral/semi-formal in educational contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The state of being held in custody, especially for questioning or punishment, or for the temporary holding of someone against their will.
1. A form of punishment in schools where a student is required to stay after regular hours. 2. The act of detaining or withholding something. 3. The forcible holding of a person or property.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to a state or period of confinement. In an educational context, it is a specific punitive institution. Can imply a lack of freedom, often with a negative connotation of unjust or prolonged holding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The school punishment sense is common in both, but more institutionalized in UK schools. The term 'detention centre' (UK) vs. 'detention facility' or 'detention center' (US) for holding immigrants/aliens.
Connotations
In the UK, 'detention' strongly evokes school punishment. In the US, it more readily evokes legal/immigration custody, though the school sense is also well-known.
Frequency
High frequency in both varieties, but context distribution differs as above.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] ordered/authorized the detention of [Object][Subject] is/are in detention[Subject] faces detentionthe detention of [Person/Thing] by [Authority]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Detention without trial”
- “Serve detention (school)”
- “Face detention”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; could refer to 'demurrage' (detention of a ship or cargo) in shipping/logistics.
Academic
Common in legal, political, and sociological texts discussing human rights, immigration policy, and criminal justice.
Everyday
Most common in the context of school punishment ('I got detention for being late').
Technical
Used in legal documents (writs of detention), immigration law, and international human rights law.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The police can detain you for up to 24 hours.
- The teacher threatened to detain the whole class.
American English
- Authorities have the right to detain suspicious individuals.
- The coach will detain players who miss practice.
adverb
British English
- He was held detentionally without charge. (Rare/Formal)
American English
- The goods were kept detentionally at the port. (Rare/Formal)
adjective
British English
- The new detention policy is controversial.
- He was held in a detention cell overnight.
American English
- The detention facility is at full capacity.
- Detention hearings are held weekly.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher gave him detention for talking in class.
- He had to stay in detention for an hour.
- If you break the rules, you might get after-school detention.
- The suspect is being held in police detention.
- The government's policy of indefinite detention for refugees has been widely criticized.
- She served two hours of detention for repeatedly forgetting her homework.
- The court ruled that his pre-trial detention violated his right to liberty.
- The report condemned the use of administrative detention as a tool of political suppression.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'DETENTION' as 'DE-TEN-TION' – where you are held for TEN (or more) minutes/hours against your intentions.
Conceptual Metaphor
DETENTION IS CONTAINMENT / DETENTION IS A HOLDING PEN / PUNISHMENT IS CONFINEMENT (school context).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating as "детенция" – this is a false friend. Use "задержание" (for arrest/custody), "арест", "заключение под стражу", or "оставление после уроков" (for school punishment).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'detainment' (less common) instead of 'detention'. Confusing 'detention' (punishment) with 'suspension' (being sent home from school). Misspelling as 'detaintion'.
Practice
Quiz
In a typical British secondary school context, 'detention' most likely refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not always. While in schools it is a punishment, in legal contexts it is a neutral term for holding someone (e.g., 'police detention' for questioning, which may not imply guilt).
An 'arrest' is the act of seizing someone to charge them with a crime. 'Detention' is the state of being held. You can be detained (e.g., for questioning) without being formally arrested.
Yes, in specific contexts like shipping/logistics ('detention of cargo' or 'container detention') or law ('detention of goods'), meaning the withholding or holding of property.
'Detainment' is listed in some dictionaries but is far less common than 'detention'. 'Detention' is the standard and preferred noun form.
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