noun

custody

/ˈkʌstədi/ · say it: KUH·stuh·dee

protective care or imprisonment; also guardianship of a child

In Law & Justice

In more detail

1. (noun) legal responsibility for a child, usually given to a parent by a court

2. (noun) the state of being held by police or in prison while awaiting trial

3. (noun) care or protection of something

Examples

1. After the divorce, the mother was awarded custody of the children.
2. The suspect was taken into custody by police officers.
3. The museum kept the ancient artifacts in custody for future generations.

How to use custody

Custody has three main uses: in family law contexts referring to parental rights over children (the most common sense); in law enforcement contexts meaning temporary detention; and more formally/literarily meaning safekeeping or guardianship of objects or interests. The family law sense is the most frequent in everyday contexts.

Common phrases

custody battle
joint custody
gain custody
lose custody
in police custody
take into custody

Synonyms

guardianship · care · protection · charge · keeping

Opposites

freedom · release

Word family

custodian · custodiary

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse custody with visitation rights; custody means legal responsibility and decision-making authority, while visitation refers to time spent with the child.

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