verb to keep someone in official custody, typically for questioning or investigation
Detain enemy combatants during conflict
Detain suspects for questioning
Detain individuals at the border for verification of documentation
Detain inmates for disciplinary reasons
Detain individuals for illegal entry into a country
Detain passengers for further screening
In legal writing, the term 'detain' is often used to describe the action of holding someone in custody.
Psychologists may use the term 'detain' when discussing the involuntary confinement of a patient for their own safety or the safety of others.
Law enforcement officers frequently use the term 'detain' when referring to the temporary holding of a suspect for questioning or investigation.
Immigration officers use the term 'detain' when describing the act of holding individuals who are suspected of being in the country illegally.
Border patrol agents may use the term 'detain' when describing the temporary holding of individuals who are attempting to cross the border illegally.
Security guards may use the term 'detain' when referring to the act of holding someone who is suspected of committing a crime on the premises.
Social workers may use the term 'detain' when discussing the temporary placement of a child in protective custody.
Military personnel may use the term 'detain' when referring to the holding of enemy combatants during a conflict.
Human rights advocates may use the term 'detain' when discussing the unlawful or unjustified holding of individuals by authorities.
Prison wardens use the term 'detain' when referring to the act of holding inmates in a correctional facility.