custodycus‧to‧dy /ˈkʌstədi/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
He got custody of his son after the divorce. The mother is usually awarded custody (=legally allowed to have custody). a dispute over who should have custody of the children The couple will retain joint custody (=they will both have custody) of their daughters. Allen is fighting a bitter custody battle over his three children.2when someone is kept in prison until they go to court, because the police think they have committed a crime: The committee is looking at alternatives to custody.in custody the death of a man in custodyhold/keep somebody in custody A man is being held in police custody in connection with the murder.remand somebody in custody British English (=send someone to prison to wait until they go to court) A man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a schoolgirl. She was taken into custody as a suspect.3formal when someone is responsible for keeping and looking after something: Managers are responsible for the safe custody and retention of records. The collection of art books is now in the custody of the university.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbshave custody of somebody· Anna has custody of their six-year-old daughter.get custody· She was determined to prevent Mike getting custody of Adam.seek custody formal (=try to get custody)· Allen is seeking custody of his two children.be given/awarded custody (=be legally allowed to have it)· The court will decide who will be given custody.win custody (=be given custody)· Their mother is likely to win custody.claim custody formal (=say that you want to have it)· Henry has claimed custody of his son.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custodyjoint custody (=both parents have it)· After the breakup, the parents were awarded joint custody.sole custody (=only one parent has it)· The mother got sole custody because of the father's violence.child custody· Matters of child custody are dealt with by the courts.custody + NOUNa custody battle/dispute (=a legal argument about who will have custody)· He is fighting a bitter custody battle for his children.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsbe held/kept in custody· The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.be remanded in custody British English (=be kept in prison until you go to court)· Davis has been remanded in custody on a burglary charge.take somebody into custody· Three armed FBI agents took Coleman into custody.place somebody in custody (also put somebody into custody)· Few young people are placed in custody.remain in custody· The judge ruled that Marsh should remain in custody until his sentence.be released from custody· Seventy-five percent of young people released from custody re-offend within two years.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custodypolice/military custody· There have been several cases in which people have died in police custody.protective custody (=custody that is meant to keep someone safe)· The rebel leader has been placed in protective custody.
WORD ORIGINcustody
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin custodia ‘guarding’, from custos ‘person who guards’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Fearing her uncle would gain custody of the child, she went into hiding.
- I loved my three girls, and losing custody was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me.
- If you leave me, I'll get custody of the kids, because everyone knows you're sick.
- The father has custody in only 10% of cases.
- Tony insists he will seek joint custody of Joshua.
- Waltman's wife had been granted temporary custody of their child after her husband's arrest.
- He was remanded in custody for seven days.
- I assume that in each case time in custody before trial is counted as part of the period before the first review.
- On Wednesday, he was in the custody of federal authorities in Baton Rouge.
- Once an item is introduced in a trial, court clerks assume custody of it, locking it in a courthouse cabinet.
- She had custody of their three-year-old son Scott.
- Three suspects were taken into custody and police were questioning them Friday morning.
Longman Language Activatorwhen the police catch a criminal
· Police say they are determined to catch the killer.· A lot of thieves never get caught.
if a police officer arrests someone they catch them, tell them officially that they have done something illegal, and take them away: · Police arrested twenty-six demonstrators.· Nine men were arrested in drug raids, Saturday.arrest somebody for something: · Wallace was arrested for assault.· Dwayne has been arrested for drunk driving again.
especially British to catch and punish someone for something illegal they have done: · They still haven't got the man who did it.
informal to catch someone and prove that they are guilty of a crime: · Police use radar to nail speeding drivers.nail somebody for something: · Myers was nailed for selling marijuana.
if the police take someone into custody , they take that person and put them in prison until they appear in court, because they think the person is guilty of a crime: · Officers took three suspects into custody Friday morning.· As soon as the plane landed, the men were taken into custody by waiting FBI agents.
when you are forced to stay somewhere if someone who the police think is guilty of a crime is in custody , they are kept in prison until it is time for them to be judged in a court: · Parry was in custody for a month before being released.be in police custody (=in a police station): · The activist died under suspicious circumstances while he was in police custody.be remanded in custody (=be sent back to prison from a court until your trial): · Three men and a woman have been remanded in custody on fraud charges.
if someone is under arrest , the police are keeping them guarded because they think they are guilty of a crime: · He's under arrest and may only be seen by his lawyer.be under house arrest (=not be allowed to leave your home): · The opposition leader has been under house arrest for the past few months.
when someone is being forced to stay in a place where they do not want to be - use this when this situation is illegal or wrong: · In his autobiography, Mandela describes his life during captivity.in captivity: · The hostages are now entering their fourth week in captivity.
when someone is being kept as a prisoner, especially as a punishment for a crime: · Johnson was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for causing a riot.· The offence is punishable by either a fine or imprisonment.life imprisonment (=for the rest of someone's life): · Garrison faces life imprisonment for his role in the killings.
when someone is being kept somewhere by the police, usually because they think that person has done something illegal and they want to ask them questions: · By the 1920s the average period of detention for new immigrants lasted two weeks.· A dissident, recently released from detention, gave a press conference in the capital today.in detention: · About a dozen people remain in detention without trial.take somebody into detention: · They were taken into detention two weeks ago and still are not allowed visitors.detention center (=a place where someone is kept by the police): · There was another riot at the men's detention center yesterday.juvenile detention (=a place that is like a prison for young people) American: · He was in and out of juvenile detention for drugs charges as a teenager.
when someone is being kept in a room, prison etc: · He was sentenced to 5 months of home confinement for the crime.solitary confinement (=the state of being kept completely alone): · Prisoners are punished by being put in solitary confinement.
to keep someone in a place as a prisoner to make someone stay in a place and not let them leave, especially as a prisoner: · You can't keep me here against my will - get out of my way.keep somebody in/at etc something: · The guerrillas were keeping the hostages in a camp somewhere in the jungle.· Prisoners were kept in cells with no beds and no running water.
to keep someone somewhere, especially for a short period of time, before deciding what to do with them: · Police are holding two men for questioning in connection with the robbery.· No one knows where the kidnapped woman is being held.hold somebody in/at etc something: · The prisoners were held at Andersonville until more suitable places were found.
to illegally keep someone in a place where they do not want to be, especially as a way of forcing someone to give you money or do what you want: · Police raided the building where rebels were holding 73 government employees captive.hold sb prisoner/captive/hostage in/at etc something: · Four other US citizens are being held hostage by guerrillas in Colombia.· The woman had been held prisoner in Larkin's basement for 3 months.
informal to put someone in a place, especially a prison, and lock it so that they cannot escape: lock somebody up/away: · Didn't they lock his brother away for murder?lock up/away somebody: · The governor argues that locking up criminals has reduced the crime rate.· Prisoners are locked up in their cells for twenty three hours a day.
to keep someone in a room or small place, so that they cannot go where they want to: confine somebody in something: · The boy had been confined in a dark narrow room from early childhood by his parents.confine somebody to something: · The judge is confining the jury to their hotel until after the verdict.
if the police detain someone who they think has done something illegal, they keep them somewhere, usually in order to ask them questions: · Three men from the ship have been detained for questioning by the Harbour Authorities.· The police are now allowed to detain terrorist suspects for as long as a week.
if the police hold or keep someone in custody they keep them in prison until it is time for them to be judged in a court: · McCullough will be kept in custody until her trial on May 3rd.hold/keep somebody in police custody (=in a police station): · A man has been arrested in connection with the murder and is being held in police custody.
to look after a child until he or she has grown up to look after children until they have grown up and to teach them to develop particular beliefs and ways of behaving: bring somebody up/raise somebody: · She had brought him up as if he were her own son.bring up somebody/raise somebody: · I don't need you to tell me how to bring up my son.· For five years we were neighbors, and we raised our kids together.be brought up (by somebody)/be raised (by somebody): · His father died when he was seven, and he was brought up by his mother.· I was born and raised in Alabama.brought up to do something (=taught to believe, think, or act in a particular way ): · I was brought up to trust people.· My parents brought me up to be truthful.brought up a Catholic/Christian etc (=brought up to believe in the Catholic/Christian religion): · I was raised a Catholic, but I don't go to church anymore.raise a family/children etc: · Grandpa raised a family of ten on seven dollars a week.· We should raise our daughters to be as confident as our menfolk.
the care of children while they are growing and developing - used especially in medical or educational contexts: · Men, in general, are as good at child-rearing as women.· Have you discussed child-rearing methods with your future husband?
the legal right to have your child living with you after your marriage has officially ended: have/get/gain custody (of somebody): · The father has custody in only 10% of cases.· Fearing her uncle would gain custody of the child, she went into hiding.· If you leave me, I'll get custody of the kids, because everyone knows you're sick.award/grant somebody custody (of somebody): · Waltman's wife had been granted temporary custody of their child after her husband's arrest.lose custody (of somebody): · I loved my three girls, and losing custody was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me.joint custody (=where both parents have equal rights to see and look after their child): · Tony insists he will seek joint custody of Joshua.
the legal right and responsibility to look after a child in your own home after you are divorced: · The courts awarded residency to Trisha's father.· The parent who has residency often loses touch with the other partner's parents, meaning that the children lose one set of grandparents.
to be kept in a place by the police if someone who the police think is guilty of a crime is in custody , they are kept in prison until it is time for them to be judged in a law court: · The twenty-seven militants now in custody were arrested in raids last month.be in police custody: · An inquiry has been launched following the death of a man in police custody.be held in custody: · A woman is being held in custody in connection with the murder.be remanded in custody British (=be sent back to prison from a court until your trial): · Naylor was remanded in custody by Huyton magistrates until June 17th.
if someone is under arrest , the police are keeping them guarded because they think they are guilty of a crime: · Police confirmed last night that Mr Joshi is under arrest.be under arrest for: · I'm afraid your son is under arrest for theft.
to be kept somewhere by the police or army so that you cannot leave, and especially so that they can ask you questions: · On Tuesday last week, Finnegan was detained and questioned by fraud squad officers.be detained for: · He was detained for questioning about the terrorist attacks.
WORD SETSbaby, nounbaby boomer, nounbabyhood, nounbabyish, adjectiveboy, nounchildren's home, nouncustody, nounfamily, nounfirst generation, nounfoundling, noungame, nounguttersnipe, nounhyperactive, adjectivelegitimate, adjectivelegitimize, verbminor, nounminority, nounmite, nounmotherless, adjectivenurture, nounorphan, nounorphanage, nounpapoose, nounpreteen, adjectiveprogeny, nounpuppy fat, nounragamuffin, nounscamp, nounschool friend, nounsextuplet, nounspoiled, adjectivetinker, nountoddle, verbtoddler, nountoilet-training, nountot, nounupbringing, nounurchin, nounward, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1verbs The children were taken into protective custody. Smith was remanded in custody (=kept in prison) until Tuesday.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1the right to take care of a child, given to one of their parents when they have divorcedcustody of· Anna has custody of their six-year-old daughter.
· She was determined to prevent Mike getting custody of Adam.
formal (=try to get custody)· Allen is seeking custody of his two children.
(=be legally allowed to have it)· The court will decide who will be given custody.
(=be given custody)· Their mother is likely to win custody.
formal (=say that you want to have it)· Henry has claimed custody of his son.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custody (=both parents have it)· After the breakup, the parents were awarded joint custody.
(=only one parent has it)· The mother got sole custody because of the father's violence.
· Matters of child custody are dealt with by the courts.
custody + NOUN (=a legal argument about who will have custody)· He is fighting a bitter custody battle for his children.
Meaning 2verbs· The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.
British English (=be kept in prison until you go to court)· Davis has been remanded in custody on a burglary charge.
· Three armed FBI agents took Coleman into custody.
(also put somebody into custody)· Few young people are placed in custody.
· The judge ruled that Marsh should remain in custody until his sentence.
· Seventy-five percent of young people released from custody re-offend within two years.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custody· There have been several cases in which people have died in police custody.
(=custody that is meant to keep someone safe)· The rebel leader has been placed in protective custody.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The children were taken into protective custody. Smith was remanded in custody (=kept in prison) until Tuesday.· If all goes as planned, Autumn Jackson and Jose Medina are spending their last weekend in federal custody.· But Marzook remained in federal custody.· He has been in federal custody since his indictment last August, unable to make bail.
· We got joint custody of the children.· They were given joint custody of Emma and Lucy, with Gabrielle having care and control.· He now lives on his own in west London and has joint custody of his two children.· After the breakup the parents were awarded joint custody and Tom resided for part of the week with each.· In the divorce petition he claimed, interalia, interim and permanent joint custody of, and access to, the child.
· But that we are being held in protective custody in a special private clinic.
· Mere negligence on the part of the recipient with respect to the safe custody of the thing will not make him liable.· Candidates are responsible for the safe custody and retention of their records of achievement, examination certificates and diplomas.
NOUN· Allen is involved in a bitter custody battle for his and Mia's three children.· On all sides of the debate, experts agree that children have already lost as soon as a custody battle begins.· They are now locked in a bitter custody battle over their three children.· And he never mentioned the custody battle for his two young children that recently ended.· The long-awaited report has been a key part of the couple's bitter custody battle.· So was the custody battle over her children.· In a custody battle she would naturally be awarded the boy.
· Female speaker How did he cope during the custody cases?· But they may not consider the outcome of either the criminal or the child custody cases, Fujisaki said.
· Financial and child custody disputes are dealt with informally by the Registrar.· But they may not consider the outcome of either the criminal or the child custody cases, Fujisaki said.· He gave her specialist child custody advice and helped her win legal aid for her court battle.· The prize for the innocent spouse lay in benefits such as child custody and financial support.
· Financial and child custody disputes are dealt with informally by the Registrar.· This custody dispute has been compared endlessly to the biblical case before Solomon.· Since each matrimonial property or custody dispute is to be decided according to judicial discretion the result is that litigation abounds.
· Detention is supervised by a custody officer who turns out on closer inspection to be a police officer with a different name.· Where a person has been arrested and charged, the review officer is the custody officer.· Their conversations with suspects are likely to be more intelligible than the form-filling friendliness of any number of custody officers.· He asked that his son be informed, but the custody officer authorised delayed notification, and C was advised of this.· The pivotal safeguard in the Act is the new institution of custody officer.· The focus is on the operational role of custody officers.
· He was sentenced to eight years in youth custody.· He sentenced teenager Mark Acklom to four years youth custody after he posed as a City stockbroker in a £466,000 mortgage fraud.· On appeal: 21 months' youth custody.· He was also given concurrent youth custody sentences of five years, three years and one year.· Daft Singlewood, of Coundon, Co Durham, was yesterday given two years youth custody for theft.· He was sentenced to 18 months' youth custody and was banned from driving for six years.
VERB· Caldwell was remanded in custody to appear in a Belfast court again on October 1.· He was remanded in custody to appear again next Thursday.· He was remanded in custody to appear at Crumlin Road Courthouse on June 11.· Both were remanded in custody to appear at Chichester Street courthouse on April 21.· Both men were remanded in custody to appear before Haverhill magistrates tomorrow.
· What court is going to award custody of a five-year-old girl to a single man who's constantly overseas on business?· After the breakup the parents were awarded joint custody and Tom resided for part of the week with each.· The Browns have been critical of the judge since she awarded Simpson custody.· The nightmare ended when a High Court judge agreed to award permanent custody to them.· A judge awarded Simpson full custody of the children in December.· A New York judge awarded custody of the boy to Leo in 1994 and allowed Heard to see him every other weekend.
· That black youth dying in police custody has not helped.· The change in policy came after an incident in which a burglary suspect who had been sprayed died in custody.· Thousands are reported to have died in custody over the past decade as a result.· Gammage died while in their custody.· Deaths in detention are not phenomena of the distant past: last year two people were reported as having died in custody.· Death probe: An inquest will open soon to establish how a 37-year-old man died while in custody at Darlington police station.
· Meanwhile Mrs thomas's other grandson James Bellamy is now on the run after escaping from police custody.
· Or was he going to give them his blessing and yet refuse to give custody of the child to Maria Luisa?· They had never again given Jeanne custody of her chil-dren.· They were given joint custody of Emma and Lucy, with Gabrielle having care and control.· At that moment, and quite smartly, the husband settled and agreed to give her sole custody.· He gave her specialist child custody advice and helped her win legal aid for her court battle.· She gave up Giorgio in return for custody of the girl.· Daft Singlewood, of Coundon, Co Durham, was yesterday given two years youth custody for theft.
· But that we are being held in protective custody in a special private clinic.· The violence was intensified when a black held in custody on a minor charge was beaten by a crowd of whites.· He was arrested and yesterday he was being held in custody in London while detectives questioned him.· We parents would hold these gifts in custody, and in time, would pass them on to our children.· If so the alleged offender may be held in custody to await trial.· The two men were held in military custody, incommunicado, for some time and are believed to have been ill-treated.· Baquerizo had been held in custody since May and, since Aug. 19, had been on hunger strike.· She ordered Cook to be held in custody for three weeks.
· My Department is providing £200,000 this financial year to motor projects dealing with young offenders, thereby keeping them out of custody.· In June 1980 Rosemary had to fight to keep custody of her son and daughter.· Mrs Rachael will keep custody of the children.· The desire to persist in interrogation is a valid reason for keeping a suspect in custody for thirty-six hours and indeed beyond.· But prosecuting lawyers went to great lengths to keep Hagans in custody.· All 20 were kept in custody during the match.· They kept me in custody overnight.
· Over the past two years, Suffolk has had only three offenders under 14 who need to be placed in custody.
· The Jana'ata, preoccupied with larger affairs, pressed no charges and released Sandoz to the custody of the Consortium.· They released him in my custody.· On the day after Rafeedie's decision Alvarez was released from custody and allowed to return to Guadalajara.· When I paid your bail you were released into my custody.· Read in studio A man has died in hospital, after being released from Police custody.· Leanne was also taken to hospital, suffering from shock, but was later released into police custody.· Advani was released from the custody of the Bihar state government on Nov. 4.
· Some were deported, but most remained in custody.· He may be returned to Texas this week, but he will remain in the custody of federal officers.· Three 15-year-olds and one boy aged 13 remained in custody.· But Marzook remained in federal custody.· On Monday the men were each granted bail on condition that they remained in military custody.· While that appeal is heard the defendant will remain in custody.
· A Dumfries and Galloway Police spokesman has now announced that a man has been taken into custody.· Three suspects were taken into custody and police were questioning them Friday morning.· Halil Guzel was taken into overnight custody by the regular police at Istanbul airport when he landed on Thursday.· The second suspect was taken into custody.· They were both frisked then cuffed and taken into custody.· Bailey, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody after the verdict Thursday.· You will all be taken into custody and escorted to Burford by the militia.
· Only the fear that he might win custody of their son Robert held the marriage together.· Simpson won custody of them from the Browns late last year.· Simpson recently won full custody of the children from the Browns after a bitter court battle.
He got custody of his son after the divorce. The mother is usually awarded custody (=legally allowed to have custody). a dispute over who should have custody of the children The couple will retain joint custody (=they will both have custody) of their daughters. Allen is fighting a bitter custody battle over his three children.2when someone is kept in prison until they go to court, because the police think they have committed a crime: The committee is looking at alternatives to custody.in custody the death of a man in custodyhold/keep somebody in custody A man is being held in police custody in connection with the murder.remand somebody in custody British English (=send someone to prison to wait until they go to court) A man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a schoolgirl. She was taken into custody as a suspect.3formal when someone is responsible for keeping and looking after something: Managers are responsible for the safe custody and retention of records. The collection of art books is now in the custody of the university.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbshave custody of somebody· Anna has custody of their six-year-old daughter.get custody· She was determined to prevent Mike getting custody of Adam.seek custody formal (=try to get custody)· Allen is seeking custody of his two children.be given/awarded custody (=be legally allowed to have it)· The court will decide who will be given custody.win custody (=be given custody)· Their mother is likely to win custody.claim custody formal (=say that you want to have it)· Henry has claimed custody of his son.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custodyjoint custody (=both parents have it)· After the breakup, the parents were awarded joint custody.sole custody (=only one parent has it)· The mother got sole custody because of the father's violence.child custody· Matters of child custody are dealt with by the courts.custody + NOUNa custody battle/dispute (=a legal argument about who will have custody)· He is fighting a bitter custody battle for his children.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbsbe held/kept in custody· The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.be remanded in custody British English (=be kept in prison until you go to court)· Davis has been remanded in custody on a burglary charge.take somebody into custody· Three armed FBI agents took Coleman into custody.place somebody in custody (also put somebody into custody)· Few young people are placed in custody.remain in custody· The judge ruled that Marsh should remain in custody until his sentence.be released from custody· Seventy-five percent of young people released from custody re-offend within two years.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + custodypolice/military custody· There have been several cases in which people have died in police custody.protective custody (=custody that is meant to keep someone safe)· The rebel leader has been placed in protective custody.