custody

Plural: custodies

Noun

• The protective care or guardianship of someone or something.
• a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
  • "he is in the custody of police"
• holding by the police
  • "the suspect is in custody"
• (with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
  • "your guests are now in my custody"
  • "the mother was awarded custody of the children"
• The legal right to take care of something or somebody, especially children.
• Temporary possession or care of somebody else's property.
• The state of being imprisoned or detained, usually pending a trial.
• An area under the jurisdiction of a custos within the Order of Friars Minor.

Examples

• After the game, the tiles were returned to the CUSTODY of the Scrabble box.
• He was mistreated while in police custody.
• I couldn't pay the bill and now my passport is in custody of the hotel management.
• The court awarded custody to the child's father.
• The Custody of the Holy Land includes the monasteries of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.
• The mother gained custody of the children.

Synonyms

detainment, detention, hands, hold

Related Words

custodial, custodian