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detenere

hold

verb deh-teh-NEH-reh Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'detinere'

Also means

detain

Usage Note

Detenere is formal, meaning to hold a record, power or shares (detenere il potere) and also to detain a prisoner. It conjugates like tenere, giving irregular forms such as detengo and detenne. Everyday holding of objects uses tenere.

Examples

"Quel paese detiene molte risorse."

Natural Translation

That country holds many resources.

Literal Translation

That country holds many resources.

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