- the legal right or duty to take care of or keep somebody/something; the act of taking care of something/somebody
- Who will have custody of the children?
- The parents were given joint custody of the two children.
- The divorce court awarded custody to the child's mother.
- The parents were locked in a bitter battle for custody.
- The bank provides safe custody for valuables.
- in the custody of somebody/something The castle is now in the custody of the state.
Collocations Marriage and divorceMarriage and divorceRomance- fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with somebody)
- be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
- be/find true love/the love of your life
- suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
- have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for somebody/something
- meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
- have/go on a (blind) date
- be going out with/(especially North American English) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
- move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
- get/be engaged/married/divorced
- arrange/plan a wedding
- have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
- have/enter into an arranged marriage
- call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
- invite somebody to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
- conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
- exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
- congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
- be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
- celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
- be unfaithful to/(informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
- have an affair (with somebody)
- break off/end an engagement/a relationship
- break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
- separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife/partner
- annul/dissolve a marriage
- apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
- get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
- pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband/partner)
Extra ExamplesTopics Family and relationshipsc1, Law and justicec1- If valuables are placed in the safe, the hotel is responsible for their safe custody.
- The children were under protective custody.
- a bitter child custody dispute
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- child
- joint
- sole
- …
- ask for
- claim
- demand
- …
- battle
- dispute
- arrangement
- …
- custody of
- the state of being in prison, especially while waiting for trial
- After the riot, 32 people were taken into police custody.
- (British English) He was remanded in custody, charged with the murder of a policeman.
Extra ExamplesTopics Crime and punishmentc1- She will remain in custody while reports are prepared about her mental condition.
- The opposition leader has been taken into protective custody.
- They did not have enough evidence to place her under custody.
- They try to keep young people out of custody.
- The man died while in police custody.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- military
- police
- protective
- …
- be remanded in
- be taken into
- be held in
- …
- in custody
- under custody
- out of custody
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin custodia, from custos ‘guardian’.
Check pronunciation:
custody