Standard Lemma guide

custody

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkʌstədiː/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: custardy (in some dialects)
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH1 S T AH0 D IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The legal right to take care of something or somebody, especially children.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • The court awarded custody to the child's father.
  • The mother gained custody of the children.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Temporary possession or care of somebody else's property.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • I couldn't pay the bill and now my passport is in custody of the hotel management.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of being imprisoned or detained, usually pending a trial.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • He was mistreated while in police custody.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An area under the jurisdiction of a custos within the Order of Friars Minor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: Catholicism, Christianity, Roman-Catholicism

Examples

  • The Custody of the Holy Land includes the monasteries of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

(with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • my fate is in your hands
  • too much power in the president's hands
  • your guests are now in my custody
  • the mother was awarded custody of the children

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hands

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: guardianship, keeping, safekeeping

6

noun

Meaning 6

holding by the police

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the suspect is in custody

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imprisonment, internment

7

noun

Meaning 7

a state of being confined (usually for a short time)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his detention was politically motivated
  • the prisoner is on hold
  • he is in the custody of police

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: detention, detainment, hold

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confinement

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

124 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: حَبْس (ḥabs) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Azerbaijani: böyüklük — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Belarusian: апе́ка (apjéka) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Bengali: হেফাজত (hephajot) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Bulgarian: опе́ка (opéka) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Catalan: custòdia — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Chinese Mandarin: 撫養權 /抚养权 (fǔyǎngquán) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Chinese Mandarin: 監護權 /监护权 (jiānhùquán) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Chinese Mandarin: 親權 /亲权 (qīnquán) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Danish: forældremyndighed — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Dutch: hoederecht — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Finnish: huoltajuus — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • French: garde — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • German: Sorgerecht — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • German: Obhut — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • German: Obsorge — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hindi: अभिरक्षा (abhirakṣā) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hindi: हिफ़ाज़त (hifāzat) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hindi: हिफाजत (hiphājat) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hungarian: őrizet — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hungarian: felügyelet — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hungarian: (szülői) felügyeleti jog — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Hungarian: gyermekelhelyezés — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Indonesian: hak asuh — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Indonesian: kustodi — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Italian: affidamento — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Japanese: 養育権 (yōikuken) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Korean: 양육권 (yang'yukgwon) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Korean: 친권 (chin'gwon) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Latin: custōdia — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omsorgsrett — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: omsorgsrett — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Persian: حِفَاظَت (hifāzat) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Iranian Persian: حِفاظَت (hefâzat) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Polish: opieka — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Portuguese: guarda — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Romanian: custodie — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Russian: попече́ние (popečénije) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Russian: опе́ка (opéka) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Russian: содержа́ние (soderžánije) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Spanish: custodia — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Spanish: patria potestad — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Spanish: tutela — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Swedish: vårdnad — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Turkish: vesayet — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Turkish: velayet — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Turkish: sorumluluk — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Ukrainian: опі́ка (opíka) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Urdu: حِفاظَت (hifāzat) — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Zazaki: wesayet — legal right to take care of something or somebody
  • Bulgarian: съхране́ние (sǎhranénie) — temporary possession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 保管 (bǎoguǎn) — temporary possession
  • Chinese Mandarin: 保護 /保护 (bǎohù) — temporary possession
  • Finnish: huosta — temporary possession
  • Finnish: hallussapito — temporary possession
  • French: détention — temporary possession
  • German: Verwahrung — temporary possession
  • German: Aufbewahrung — temporary possession
  • Hindi: अभिरक्षा (abhirakṣā) — temporary possession
  • Hindi: हिफ़ाज़त (hifāzat) — temporary possession
  • Hindi: हिफाजत (hiphājat) — temporary possession
  • Hindi: रक्षा (rakṣā) — temporary possession
  • Irish: cumhdach — temporary possession
  • Japanese: 保管 (hokan) — temporary possession
  • Japanese: 預かり (azukari) — temporary possession
  • Korean: 보관 (bogwan) — temporary possession
  • Norwegian Bokmål: varetekt — temporary possession
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forvaring — temporary possession
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: varetekt — temporary possession
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forvaring — temporary possession
  • Portuguese: custódia — temporary possession
  • Romanian: păstrare — temporary possession
  • Russian: хране́ние (xranénije) — temporary possession
  • Russian: сохране́ние (soxranénije) — temporary possession
  • Turkish: emanet — temporary possession
  • Turkish: inam — temporary possession
  • Turkish: vedia — temporary possession
  • Zazaki: emanet — temporary possession
  • Arabic: حِرَاسَة نَظَرِيَّة (ḥirāsa naẓariyya) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Bengali: হেফাজত (hephajot) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Bulgarian: аре́ст (arést) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Chinese Mandarin: 監禁 /监禁 (jiānjìn) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拘留 (jūliú) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Czech: vazba — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Danish: varetægt — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Finnish: pidätys — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Finnish: säilöönotto — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • French: garde à vue — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • French: détention — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • German: Haft — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • German: Untersuchungshaft — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Hindi: अभिरक्षण (abhirakṣaṇ) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Hungarian: őrizet — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Hungarian: előzetes letartóztatás — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Japanese: 拘留 (kōryū) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Korean: 구류 (guryu) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Norwegian Bokmål: varetekt — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: varetekt — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Portuguese: custódia — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Romanian: reținere — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Romanian: arest — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Russian: заключе́ние (zaključénije) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Russian: аре́ст (arést) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Russian: содержа́ние под стра́жей (soderžánije pod strážej) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Lower Sorbian: popajź — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Swedish: förvar — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Turkish: gözaltı — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Turkish: gözaltına alınmak — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Turkish: alıkonma — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Urdu: حراست (hirāsat) — state of being imprisoned or detained
  • Catalan: custòdia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Czech: kustodie — Franciscan administrative unit
  • French: custodie — Franciscan administrative unit
  • German: Kustodie — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Hebrew: משמורת — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Hungarian: kusztódia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Italian: custodia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Latin: custodia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Polish: kustodia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Portuguese: custódia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Russian: кусто́дия (kustódija) — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Spanish: custodia — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Ukrainian: кусто́дія (kustódija) — Franciscan administrative unit
  • Zazaki: kustudiya — Franciscan administrative unit
Real reading context

custody in complete knowledge articles

Child custody Everyday life · Advanced · 84 uses