Meaning & use
detain
To keep someone from leaving, especially by holding them in official custody.
See it in a sentence
Police detained the suspect for several hours of questioning after the break-in.
Sorry to detain you, but I have one more quick question.
A note on using this word
In legal contexts it implies a formal, temporary holding, often shorter than a full arrest.
Words with a similar meaning
holdconfine
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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