Plural of detenu; men or boys who are held in custody or kept in confinement, especially in legal or institutional settings.
From French détenu, meaning 'detained person,' derived from détenir (to hold back), combining de- and Latin tenere (to hold).
The French legal system used this term extensively during political crises and wars—historical records of detenus show which populations were considered threats, making the word itself a window into power dynamics of different eras.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.