Definition

A legal term referring to the act of unlawfully keeping someone else's personal property or the action taken to recover that property.

Example

The company filed a detinue to reclaim the equipment that was wrongfully held by the contractor.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a detinue?

Yeah, it's about recovering property that someone is holding onto, right?

Exactly! I read about it in a legal article the other day.

That's interesting! It sounds like it could be useful in certain situations.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Detinue is derived from the Latin "detinere" (meaning to hold back or retain), which is composed of "de-" (meaning down or away) and "tenere" (meaning to hold). The word refers to the act of holding back or retaining someone's property.

Memory Tip

Think of 'holding back' ('tenere') something 'away' ('de-') — that's why detinue means to retain someone's property.

Visually Confused Words