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detain

de·tain
D d

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [dih-teyn]
    • /dɪˈteɪn/
    • /dɪˈteɪn/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [dih-teyn]
    • /dɪˈteɪn/

Definitions of detain word

  • verb detain When people such as the police detain someone, they keep them in a place under their control. 3
  • verb detain To detain someone means to delay them, for example by talking to them. 3
  • verb detain to delay; hold back; stop 3
  • verb detain to confine or hold in custody; restrain 3
  • verb detain to retain or withhold 3
  • verb transitive detain to keep in custody; confine 3

Information block about the term

Origin of detain

First appearance:

before 1480
One of the 25% oldest English words
1480-90; detainen < Anglo-French, Old French detenir < Vulgar Latin *dētenīre, for Latin dētinēre, equivalent to dē- de- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Detain

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

detain popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 81% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

detain usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for detain

verb detain

  • apprehend — If the police apprehend someone, they catch them and arrest them.
  • delay — If you delay doing something, you do not do it immediately or at the planned or expected time, but you leave it until later.
  • confine — To confine something to a particular place or group means to prevent it from spreading beyond that place or group.
  • jail — a prison, especially one for the detention of persons awaiting trial or convicted of minor offenses.
  • decelerate — When a vehicle or machine decelerates or when someone in a vehicle decelerates, the speed of the vehicle or machine is reduced.

Antonyms for detain

verb detain

  • liberate — to set free, as from imprisonment or bondage.
  • aid — Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves.
  • assist — If you assist someone, you help them to do a job or task by doing part of the work for them.
  • facilitate — to make easier or less difficult; help forward (an action, a process, etc.): Careful planning facilitates any kind of work.
  • permit — to allow to do something: Permit me to explain.

Top questions with detain

  • what does detain mean?
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  • how long can the police detain you without charging you?
  • how long can ice detain someone?
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See also

Matching words

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