in custody
in custody — idiom
1. kept in a police station or prison after being arrested, while a court decides w
kept in a police station or prison after being arrested, while a court decides whether there is enough evidence for a trial or whether the person can be released before the trial date
The police held the suspect in custody for two days before a judge set bail.
hold someone in custody — the most common active verb pattern
Suspects in custody must be allowed to speak to a lawyer within twenty-four hours.
passive sense with 'be in custody' as a postmodifier
The officers released Mr. Okafor from custody because the evidence against him was too weak.
The court decided to keep the defendant in custody until the trial begins next month.
When police took Luca into custody, he did not resist and asked for a lawyer.
- detained
broader meaning — can include short-term questioning before formal arrest
- under arrest
focuses on the moment of being arrested rather than the period of being held afterwards
- imprisoned
longer-term; usually after conviction and sentencing, not before trial
文法句型
be in custody
hold / keep someone in custody
take someone into custody
release someone from custody
用法筆記
This fixed phrase is almost always used in legal or police contexts. It appears most often after the verb 'be' (e.g., 'the suspect is in custody') or after verbs of detention such as 'hold', 'keep', 'take', 'place', 'remand'. The related phrase 'in the custody of' has a different meaning — it refers to legal guardianship of a child, not police detention.