Also means
to possess, hold (a record/title)
Usage Note
détenir conjugates like tenir (irregular). It covers two main senses: holding someone captive (détenu en prison — 'detained in prison') and holding an abstract thing (détenir un record — 'to hold a record', détenir un secret — 'to hold a secret'). The related noun détention means 'custody' or 'detention', and détenu is the noun for 'prisoner'.
Examples
"Il détient le record du monde."
Natural Translation
He holds the world record.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
7 min read