English

detain

dɪˈteɪn
Meaning: to force someone officially to stay in a place; to delay someone
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Form Inflected form
Base detain
3rd person singular present detains
Present participle detaining
Past detained
Will future will detain
Going-to future going to detain
Imperative negative don't detain / do not detain

Example

The suspect was detained by the police.
The suspect was detained by the police.

Usage Notes

Often used in legal or official contexts when someone is held for questioning or prevented from leaving.

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