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custody Definition

cus·tody (kus′tə dē)

noun pl. -·dies

  1. a guarding or keeping safe; care; protection; guardianship
  2. the right of having one's children in one's immediate care, awarded under various arrangements to one or both of the parents by a court as a result of a divorce or separation

Etymology: ME custodie < L custodia < custos, a guard, keeper < IE *(s)keudh- <base *(s)keus-, to cover > sky

custody Idioms

in custody

in the keeping of the police; under arrest

take into custody

to arrest

custody Synonyms

custody

n.

  1. Protection

    care, guardianship, supervision, keeping, safekeeping, charge, watch, trusteeship, superintendence, tutelage, wardship, auspices, aegis, safeguard, ward; see also administration 1.

  2. Detention

    jail, keeping, confinement; see arrest 1, imprisonment 1.

take into custody

capture, apprehend, seize; see arrest 1.

custody Law Definition

n

  1. The immediate control, guarding, or keeping of a thing for its care, inspection, preservation, or security.
  2. Any significant restraint or control over a person’s freedom to ensure his or her presence at a hearing or trial in a criminal action.
  3. The restraint and control over a person who is incarcerated following that person’s conviction of an offense.
child custody
The physical control over a minor awarded by a court to a parent in a divorce or separation proceeding or in a similar action between the unmarried parents of the child. Such control usually includes the right to have the child live with the parent who is awarded custody, the right to determine the upbringing of the child (including the care, discipline, education, religion, and residence of the child), the right to make all legal decisions concerning the child, and the duty to care for and maintain the child. See also visitation rights.
joint custody
An arrangement ordered by a court or agreed upon by the divorced or separated parents of a minor by which the parents share all authority, decisions, and responsibilities concerning the care and upbringing of their child, although the minor still primarily resides (usually) with only one of the parents.
sole custody
An arrangement ordered by a court or agreed upon by the divorced or separated parents of a minor by which only one parent makes all the decisions and has all the authority and responsibilities concerning the care and upbringing of his or her child, to the exclusion of the other parent.

custody Usage Examples

Preposition: on

suspicion: Officers currently have a 47-year-old man in custody on suspicion of murder.

Converse of object

lose: In cases of marital separation, they lose custody of their children.

Adjective modifier

  • protective: There is no reason to keep her in protective custody, Mulder.
  • lawful: To recapture a person who has escaped from lawful custody.
  • intermittent: The Government has already clarified that people currently serving the sentence of intermittent custody can vote when not actually in jail.
  • safe: The use of client group accounts for safe custody of savings by members has been discussed above.
  • sole: But that is exactly what judges do when they make a sole custody ' award ' in any disputed custody case.
  • joint: We do, however have 3 children, ages 11, 8, 6, which we have agreed to joint custody to.

Modifies a noun

  • sergeant: At the station you will be booked in by the custody sergeant.
  • suite: However there are more cocaine deaths in police custody suites due to swallowing crack or cocaine.
  • visitor: Independent custody visitors have no right to see the detainee's medical records, even where these are attached to the custody record.
  • officer: At present a custody officer is required to record everything a detained person has with him on entering custody.
  • certification: Chain of custody certification provides evidence that the certified product originates from certified, well-managed, sustainable forests.
  • battle: Wylie fell off a wall and crippled himself, then fought and lost a bitter custody battle for his daughter.

Noun used with modifier

  • police: She is the sister of Ricky Bishop, who died in police custody last Thursday.
  • prison: There were 18 prisoners in the inpatient unit, mainly cared for by prison custody officers.
  • youth: He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three and a half years youth custody and banned for five years.

Preposition: of

  • prisoner: Topics include powers of arrest, care and custody of prisoners, basic documentation, radio procedures, notebook entries and common offenses.
  • deed: PROPERTIES AND ESTATES 11.1 The Clerks shall make appropriate arrangements for the custody of all title deeds of properties owned by the Council.

Preposition: for

offender: The Government should further develop and promote community alternatives to custody for less serious offenders in order to alleviate prison overcrowding.