DETENTION, noun [See Detain.] 1. The act of detaining; a withholding from another his right; a keeping what belongs to another, and ought to be restored. 2. Confinement; restraint; as detention in custody. 3. Delay from necessity; a detaining; as the detention of the mail by bad roads.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI