custody

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The legal right or responsibility to care for a child and make decisions about their life.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable; can be countable when referring to different arrangements, e.g., 'joint custody'.

   Patterns

   • have custody of someone
   • get custody of someone
   • award custody to someone
   • custody battle

   After the divorce, the mother was granted custody of the children.

   The couple are fighting for custody of their son.

   He has full custody of his daughter.

2. 2noununcountable

   The state of being held by the police or kept in prison.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in phrases like 'in custody' or 'take someone into custody'.

   Patterns

   • in custody
   • take someone into custody
   • police custody

   The suspect is in police custody.

   She was taken into custody at the airport.

   He spent two nights in custody before being released.

Common combinations

joint custody

They agreed to joint custody of their two children.

sole custody

The father was given sole custody after the mother moved abroad.

custody battle

The custody battle lasted for months.

in custody

The suspect remains in custody.

take into custody

The police took him into custody for questioning.

Synonyms and how they differ

guardianship

Guardianship is a broader legal term for the role of a guardian; custody specifically refers to the day-to-day care and decision-making for a child.

detention

Detention means the state of being kept in official custody, often before trial; custody is the more general term for being held by authorities.

Word family

custodial adjective

Relating to custody, as in 'custodial sentence' or 'custodial parent'.

custodian noun

A person who has custody or care of something, such as a building or a child.

Commonly confused: custody or custardy?

Practice

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