détient

Détient is the third-person singular present indicative form of the French verb détenir, meaning to hold, possess, or detain. In everyday usage it covers physical possession (Il détient le livre), control over resources or information (Elle détient des données sensibles), and custodial situations (La police détient des suspects). The exact sense is clarified by context.

In legal and administrative language, détenir is often used to describe possession or control rather than outright ownership. The noun détention denotes custody or detention, as in détention provisoire (pretrial detention) or détention d’armes (possession of weapons). The word can carry connotations of authority or restraint depending on the subject.

Etymology: détient is derived from Latin detinere, formed from de- plus tenere (to hold). The verb is related to other forms such as détenir, détention, and détenu, and shares semantic links with synonyms like posséder and retenir, though nuances vary with context.

Notes on usage: The form détient is distinct from related nouns like détention and from other similarly spelled words such as détente, which has a different meaning (relaxation or easing of tensions). Context determines whether the sense is possession, custody, or detention, and speakers may choose among synonyms to fit the nuance.