Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: SCHOOL

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: detentio, from detentus, past participle of detinere; DETAIN

detention

 noun
     
de‧ten‧tion
1 [uncountable]SCJ the state of being kept in prison
in detention
Willis was held in detention for five years.
2 [uncountable and countable]SES a punishment in which children who have behaved badly are forced to stay at school for a short time after the others have gone home
in detention
She was always getting put in detention.
Definition of detention from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
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