detention center
noun
1
: a place where people who have entered a country illegally are kept for a period of time
2
: a place where people who have committed crimes are kept as punishment
She spent several months in a detention center for women.
a juvenile detention center
Examples of detention center in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On that same day, nearly 300 people were sent to the prison in El Salvador from the same Texas detention center, according to the American Immigration Council.
—
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, Busby, 28, stood outside the detention center with flowers and a smile waiting to hug his wife for the first time this year.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
He will be held in a youth detention center.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Just two weeks after becoming pope in 2013 – after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI – Francis observed Holy Thursday by washing the feet of inmates in a youth detention center.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention center
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Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, Busby, 28, stood outside the detention center with flowers and a smile waiting to hug his wife for the first time this year.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
He will be held in a youth detention center.
—CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Just two weeks after becoming pope in 2013 – after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI – Francis observed Holy Thursday by washing the feet of inmates in a youth detention center.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention center
Cite this Entry
“Detention center.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention%20center. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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