English noun: detention | |||
1. | detention (state) a state of being confined (usually for a short time) | ||
Samples | His detention was politically motivated. The prisoner is on hold. He is in the custody of police. | ||
Synonyms | custody, detainment, hold | ||
Broader (hypernym) | confinement | ||
2. | detention (act) a punishment in which a student must stay at school after others have gone home | ||
Samples | The detention of tardy pupils. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | penalisation, penalization, penalty, punishment | ||