Word
detain
Meanings
to keep someone somewhere and not allow them to leave, especially by authority
to delay someone by making them stay longer than planned
Definition
To detain someone means to keep them somewhere and not allow them to leave, usually for official reasons.
To detain is to hold a person in a place and prevent them from leaving, often temporarily. It is commonly used in contexts such as the police, immigration, or school discipline. The focus is on restriction of movement rather than long-term imprisonment.
Examples
- Police detained the driver for questioning after the collision.
- I was detained at the border because my passport scan did not register properly.
- The teacher detained him after class to discuss his repeated interruptions.
- A last-minute security check detained us at the gate and we nearly missed boarding.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "detain" with "arrest"; "detain" is usually temporary and does not always mean a formal arrest.
More at C1 level
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More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.