custody

custody — noun

1. When parents divorce or separate, a court decides which parent has the right and

1.nounB2
Definition

When parents divorce or separate, a court decides which parent has the right and duty to raise the children — this legal authority is called custody.

Example

After the divorce, Quan's mother was given custody of him and his sister.

collocation: given custody of

The court granted joint custody, so the children live with each parent half the time.

collocation: granted joint custody

Common collocations
  • award custody (of)
  • grant custody (of)
  • fight for custody
  • win custody
  • lose custody
  • joint custody
  • sole custody
  • full custody
  • shared custody
  • physical custody
  • legal custody
  • custody battle
  • custody arrangement
  • custody hearing
  • custody agreement
Synonyms
  • guardianship

    Broader term; applies to adults caring for children who are not their own, often after a parent's death

  • parental responsibility

    UK legal term that covers the same idea; more formal and comprehensive

  • care

    Informal and less specific — 'care' does not carry the same legal weight as 'custody'

Antonyms
  • visitation

    Limited, scheduled time with the child, without the right to make daily decisions

Usage Note

Often paired with a possessive or a prepositional phrase showing who has the right: 'custody of the child', 'her custody', 'their father's custody'. The two main types are physical custody (where the child lives) and legal custody (who makes important decisions).

Common Mistakes

My ex-husband has visitation rights, so the children live with him every week.
My ex-husband has visitation rights, so the children stay with him every other weekend.
Visitation is limited time with the child, not the same as full-time custody.

2. The condition of being held by the police or kept in a locked cell, especially w

2.nounB2
Definition

The condition of being held by the police or kept in a locked cell, especially while the legal system decides whether to charge you with a crime.

Example

The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the robbery.

collocation: taken into custody

Walid spent three days in police custody before being released without charge.

collocation: in police custody

Common collocations
  • take into custody
  • hold in custody
  • keep in custody
  • remain in custody
  • place in custody
  • be in custody
  • release from custody
  • police custody
  • pre-trial custody
  • remand custody
  • in protective custody
Synonyms
  • detention

    Broader term; can be used for any official holding, including in schools or immigration centres

  • remand

    Specifically refers to being kept in prison while awaiting trial in British legal contexts

  • confinement

    More general; does not necessarily imply police or legal authority

  • imprisonment

    Usually refers to a sentence after conviction, not pre-trial detention

Antonyms
  • release

    Being set free from police or legal control

  • bail

    Temporary freedom granted while awaiting trial, often after paying money as a guarantee

Usage Note

Typically used in the phrase 'in custody' or 'into custody'. Collocates with police, prison, court, and trial. Often describes temporary detention before a court appearance, not a long prison sentence.

Common Mistakes

The thief was sentenced to custody for three years.
The thief was sentenced to prison for three years.
'Custody' in this sense refers to pre-trial detention, not a final punishment.

Word family

  • custodial
    adjectiveC1
  • custodian
    nounB2
  • custodianship
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Custody is the legal right to care for and make decisions about a child — it covers both where the child lives and who makes important choices about their upbringing. Guardianship is broader: it applies when someone other than a parent (such as a grandparent or a state-appointed adult) is given legal authority over a child, often after the parents have died or been deemed unfit. Parental responsibility is the term used in UK law for the same bundle of rights and duties that parents automatically hold, while custody in divorce settings is a subset of those rights. Visitation (or 'access') is much narrower — it only gives the non-custodial parent scheduled time with the child, not the right to make daily decisions. For example, a father with visitation may take his daughter for dinner every Wednesday, but a father with custody decides which school she attends.

custody ↗guardianshipparental responsibilityvisitation

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • take into custody
  • in custody
  • custody of
  • held in custody

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'custodia', meaning 'guarding' or 'keeping safe', which came from 'custos' (a guard or watchman). It entered English through Old French 'custodie' in the 1400s, first used for the general idea of guarding something, and later took on its modern legal meanings for children and prisoners.