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Punishment vs Detention - What's the difference?

punishment | detention |

As nouns the difference between punishment and detention

is that punishment is the act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction while detention is detention.

punishment

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction.
  • A penalty to punish wrongdoing, especially for crime.
  • A suffering by pain or loss imposed as retribution
  • (figuratively) Any treatment or experience so harsh it feels like being punished; rough handling
    • a vehicle that can take a lot of punishment

    Synonyms

    * castigation * punition * beating

    Antonyms

    * reward

    Hyponyms

    * retribution

    Derived terms

    * corporal punishment * mirror punishment * (l)

    Related terms

    * punishable * punisher * punishing * punitive * impunity

    detention

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia detention)
  • (uncountable) The act of detaining or the state of being detained.
  • (countable) A temporary state of custody or confinement, especially of a prisoner awaiting trial, or of a student being punished.

    • Derived terms

    * detention basin * detention home