To keep someone from leaving or delay them, either officially (like police holding someone) or casually (like a friend keeping you talking).
From Latin 'detinere' combining 'de-' (away from) and 'tenere' (to hold). It entered English in the 14th century with legal meanings.
The word 'detain' is carefully different from 'arrest'—in law, police can 'detain' someone briefly (like a stop-and-frisk) without the legal rights protections that come with an actual arrest, which is why the distinction matters!
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