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custody

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custody

  • /ˈkʌstədiː/

Sounds like custardy (in some dialects)

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Latin custōdia (“a keeping, watch, guard, prison”), from custōs (“a keeper, watchman, guard”). Doublet of custode.

noun custodies

  1. uncountable, usually The legal right to take care of something or somebody, especially children. The court awarded custody to the child's father.
  2. uncountable, usually Temporary possession or care of somebody else's property. I couldn't pay the bill and now my passport is in custody of the hotel management.
  3. uncountable, usually The state of being imprisoned or detained, usually pending a trial. He was mistreated while in police custody.
  4. uncountable, usually An area under the jurisdiction of a custos within the Order of Friars Minor. The Custody of the Holy Land includes the monasteries of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: detention, hold, hands, custodian, custodial, tutelage, guardianship, custodianship, escort, stewardship, supervision, possession, vigilante, ownership, probation, tutorship

Translations

Every language

noun legal right to take care of something or somebody

Españolcustodia, patria potestad, tutela
한국어양육권 yang'yukgwon, 친권 chin'gwon
日本語養育権 yōikuken
中文撫養權 /抚养权 fǔyǎngquán, 監護權 /监护权 jiānhùquán, 親權 /亲权 qīnquán
हिन्दीअभिरक्षा abhirakṣā, हिफ़ाज़त hifāzat, हिफाजत hiphājat
Portuguêsguarda
Françaisgarde
DeutschSorgerecht, Obhut, Obsorge
Italianoaffidamento
Românăcustodie
Русскийпопече́ние popečénije, опе́ка opéka, содержа́ние soderžánije
العربيةحَبْس ḥabs

noun temporary possession

한국어보관 bogwan
日本語保管 hokan, 預かり azukari
中文保管 bǎoguǎn, 保護 /保护 bǎohù
हिन्दीअभिरक्षा abhirakṣā, हिफ़ाज़त hifāzat, हिफाजत hiphājat, रक्षा rakṣā
Portuguêscustódia
Françaisdétention
DeutschVerwahrung, Aufbewahrung
Românăpăstrare
Русскийхране́ние xranénije, сохране́ние soxranénije

noun state of being imprisoned or detained

한국어구류 guryu
日本語拘留 kōryū
中文監禁 /监禁 jiānjìn, 拘留 jūliú
हिन्दीअभिरक्षण abhirakṣaṇ
Portuguêscustódia
Françaisgarde à vue, détention
DeutschHaft, Untersuchungshaft
Românăreținere, arest
Русскийзаключе́ние zaključénije, аре́ст arést, содержа́ние под стра́жей soderžánije pod strážej
العربيةحِرَاسَة نَظَرِيَّة ḥirāsa naẓariyya

noun Franciscan administrative unit

Españolcustodia
Portuguêscustódia
Françaiscustodie
DeutschKustodie
Italianocustodia
Русскийкусто́дия kustódija
עבריתמשמורת

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Cite this
MLA

"custody." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/custody. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

custody. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/custody

Chicago

"custody." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/custody.

BibTeX
@misc{custody_2026,
  title = {custody},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/custody},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}