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
Independent access to the detainees or their legal counsel has not been granted.
—
Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
Since the Trump administration in March removed a group of Venezuelan migrants alleged to be gang members to El Salvador for indefinite detention, a WhatsApp virtual community has come into being, made up largely of mothers of the detainees.
—Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 23 May 2025
The officials emphasized that the detainees’ countries of origin had refused to take them back.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
One group of Venezuelan detainees who were about to be deported to El Salvador argued in court that they were not given enough time or resources to challenge their detentions, accusing the United States of violating their right of habeas corpus.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 20 May 2025
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Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
Since the Trump administration in March removed a group of Venezuelan migrants alleged to be gang members to El Salvador for indefinite detention, a WhatsApp virtual community has come into being, made up largely of mothers of the detainees.
—Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 23 May 2025
The officials emphasized that the detainees’ countries of origin had refused to take them back.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
One group of Venezuelan detainees who were about to be deported to El Salvador argued in court that they were not given enough time or resources to challenge their detentions, accusing the United States of violating their right of habeas corpus.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainee
Cite this Entry
“Detainee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainee. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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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