tr.v., -tained, -tain·ing, -tains.

1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard.
2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement: The police detained several suspects for questioning. The disruptive students were detained after school until their parents had been notified.
3. Obsolete. To retain or withhold (payment or property, for example).

[Middle English deteinen, from Old French detenir, from Vulgar Latin *dētenīre, from Latin dētinēre : dē-, de- + tenēre, to hold.]

detainment de·tain'ment n.

verb

1. To cause to be later or slower than expected or desired: delay, hang up, hold up, lag, retard, set back, slow (down or up), stall². See help/harm/harmless, time.
2. To keep in custody: hold. See free/unfree, law.
3. To put in jail: confine, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, lock (up). See free/unfree.

v

Definition: hold, keep back; arrest
Antonyms: free, let go, liberate, release

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See missing.

IN BRIEF: Hold back, delay.

The refugees were detained at the border until their passports were found.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - tilbageholde, sinke, give eftersidning

Nederlands (Dutch)
aanhouden, vasthouden, gevangenhouden, laten schoolblijven, ophouden, vertragen

Français (French)
v. tr. - arrêter, retenir, garder, détenir, (École) mettre en retenue, consigner

Deutsch (German)
v. - verhaften, aufhalten

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - θέτω υπό κράτηση ή περιορισμό, προφυλακίζω, προσωποκρατώ, κρατώ, απασχολώ

Italiano (Italian)
arrestare, fermare, trattenere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - deter

Русский (Russian)
задерживать, удерживать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - detener, retener, custodiar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - uppehålla, internera

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
扣留, 阻止, 扣押

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 扣留, 阻止, 扣押

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - ~을 붙잡아 두다, 억류하다, 구금하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 引き止める, 留置する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحتجز شخص في مكان رسمي وبخاصه مركز شرطه, يسجن, يؤخر, يعوق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮כלא, עצר, עיכב‬

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