detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē 
ˌdē-
: a person held in custody especially for political reasons
Examples of detainee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawyers for the environmental groups argued that the detention site is operated under an agreement with the federal government, and detainees are considered subjects of the federal government, not the state.
—
Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The city is looking to open two more similar units at hospitals in Brooklyn and the Bronx by 2029, to house a total of 340 detainees between the three sites.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Both Gomez and Pérez argue that the Cuban government often labels common prisoners as political detainees when announcing releases.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In the third lawsuit, a federal judge in Fort Myers, Florida, ruled the Everglades facility must provide detainees there with better access to their attorneys, as well as confidential, unmonitored, unrecorded outgoing legal calls.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
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Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
The city is looking to open two more similar units at hospitals in Brooklyn and the Bronx by 2029, to house a total of 340 detainees between the three sites.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
Both Gomez and Pérez argue that the Cuban government often labels common prisoners as political detainees when announcing releases.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In the third lawsuit, a federal judge in Fort Myers, Florida, ruled the Everglades facility must provide detainees there with better access to their attorneys, as well as confidential, unmonitored, unrecorded outgoing legal calls.
—Mike Schneider, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
detainee
noun
de·tain·ee
di-ˌtā-ˈnē
: a person who is detained
especially
: a person held in custody prior to trial or hearing
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