detainee

noun

de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons

Examples of detainee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For decades, detainee advocates have argued that the D.C. jail is unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 21 June 2024 Trump has crossed a line from defending the Jan. 6 detainees to lionizing them. Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024 Noboa, wearing a helmet and a flak jacket, stood silently for a moment and contemplated the detainees. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024 Most of the approximately 30 prisoners released from the Negev and Ofer prisoners this week were administrative detainees, who had not been charged with any offenses. Kareem Khadder, CNN, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for detainee 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detainee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of detainee was circa 1928

Dictionary Entries Near detainee

Cite this Entry

“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

Legal Definition

detainee

noun
de·​tain·​ee di-ˌtā-ˈnē How to pronounce detainee (audio)
: a person who is detained
especially : a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!