Kept someone from leaving or prevented them from going somewhere, usually by authority or force. It means to hold or keep someone in custody.
From Old French 'detenir,' derived from Latin 'detinere' (de- 'away' + tenere 'to hold'). Originally meant simply 'to hold back,' but developed legal and police connotations over time.
The word 'detained' is fascinating in law enforcement because it's deliberately formal and neutral—police use it to describe holding someone without arrest, creating a legal gray area between 'stopping' and 'arresting.'
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