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detener

to stop

verb deh-teh-NEHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin detinere (to hold back), from de- + tenere (to hold).

Also means

to arrest

Usage Note

Detener follows the irregular pattern of tener: detengo, detienes… It means 'to stop or halt' (something or someone) and, in legal contexts, 'to arrest or detain'. The reflexive detenerse means 'to stop oneself, to pause'. The noun detención means both 'stoppage' and 'arrest/detention'. Detenido ('detained, arrested') is the common past-participle adjective.

Examples

"La policía detuvo al sospechoso."

Natural Translation

The police arrested the suspect.

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