Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Police Investigation & Arrest

Detain

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/dɪˈteɪn/verbCore term

In criminal law & justice, detain means: To keep someone officially in a place, such as a police station or prison, and not let them leave.

In Turkish: gözaltına almak, alıkoymak, tutmak

How it is used

Common in police and human rights language: 'detained for questioning', 'detained without charge', 'unlawfully detained'. The noun is 'detention' and the person held is a 'detainee'. 'Detain' is broader than 'arrest' and is also used for immigration and border checks.

Example sentences

  1. Three people were detained after the fight outside the stadium.

  2. The law limits how long the police can detain a suspect without charge.

  3. He was detained at the border because of a problem with his passport.

Common collocations

  • detained for questioning
  • detained without charge
  • unlawfully detained
  • detention centre
  • arrestTo take a person into police control using legal powers, usually because they are suspected of a crime; the noun 'arrest' names this act.
  • custodyThe state of being held by the police or kept in prison, for example after an arrest or while waiting for trial.
  • pretrial detentionKeeping a person accused of a crime in prison before and during their trial, when a court decides that releasing them would be too risky.
  • interrogationThe formal and often long questioning of a suspect by the police or other officials in order to get information or a confession.

More terms: Police Investigation & Arrest

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.