Wordwyrt

detention

/dɪˈtenʃən/dih-TEN-shuhn
/dɪˈtɛnʃən/dih-TEN-shuhn

Meaninghold back

Common meaning: confinement or being kept in

Journey through time

  1. Latindetinere‘hold back’source
  2. Old Frenchdétention‘a detention, detaining’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftshold back → confinement or being kept indetention‘confinement or being kept in’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin detinere ‘hold back’.

Roots

  • detinere Latin “to detain, keep back”

Related words

detain

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