Phrase guide
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.
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noun
The brief detention of a person by the police on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity but short of probable cause to arrest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Topics: government, law-enforcement
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From the legal case Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968), in which the Supreme Court held that police may briefly detain a person who they reasonably suspect is involved in criminal activity.
