cus ‧ to ‧ dy /ˈkʌstədi/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: custodia 'guarding' , from custos 'person who guards' ]
1 . the right to take care of a child, given to one of their parents when they have ↑ divorced
custody of
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.
2 . when 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 custody
hold/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.
3 . formal 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.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ have 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 + custody
▪ joint 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 + NOUN
▪ a custody battle/dispute (=a legal argument about who will have custody)
He is fighting a bitter custody battle for his children.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ be 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 + custody
▪ police/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.