Noun: detention di'ten-shun
- A state of being confined (usually for a short time)
"his detention was politically motivated";
- detainment, hold, custody
- A punishment in which a student must stay at school after others have gone home
"the detention of tardy pupils"
Derived forms: detentions
Type of: confinement, penalisation [Brit], penalization, penalty, punishment, sanction
Encyclopedia: Detention