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Noun: detention  di'tenshun
  1. A state of being confined (usually for a short time)
    "his detention was politically motivated"
    - detainment, hold, custody
     
  2. A punishment in which a student must stay at school after others have gone home
    "the detention of tardy pupils"

Derived forms: detentions

See also: detain

Type of: confinement, penalisation [Brit], penalization, penalty, punishment

Encyclopedia: Detention