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English - Hungarian

custody

gb/kˈʌstədi/ us/kˈʌstədi/
B2 English
~ 7700
szülői felügyeleti jog, őrizet, megőrzés, letétkezelés
NOUN B2
1
szülői felügyeleti jog B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has custody of [someone]
After a long court case, she was granted full custody of the children.
Egy hosszú per után neki ítélték a gyermekek kizárólagos szülői felügyeleti jogát.
They agreed to share joint custody so the kids could spend time with both parents.
Megállapodtak a közös szülői felügyeletben, hogy a gyerekek mindkét szülővel tölthessenek időt.
He lost custody after the judge decided the children were safer with their mother.
The custody arrangement allows the father to have the children every other weekend.
Custody of the youngest child is still being decided by the court.
Learner examples
She has custody of her two sons.
Ő gyakorolja a szülői felügyeleti jogot a két fia felett.
The parents fight over custody of their child.
A szülők a gyermekük felügyeleti jogán vitáznak.
The judge gives custody to the mother.
They have joint custody of their daughter.
He wants custody after the divorce.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "custody" with "custom" or "customer" because they look similar. They may also think "custody" only means being held by the police; in family contexts, it most often means legal care of children. Another common mistake is using it in the plural ("custodies"); the word is almost always uncountable in this sense.
Meaning
legal right to care for a child
Collocations
child custody |have custody of |gain custody |lose custody |joint custody |sole custody
Synonyms
guardianship (More formal and general; can refer to long-term legal care of a child or dependent, not only in divorce situations.) | care (More general and emotional; does not by itself imply a formal legal right.)
Antonyms
visitation (Refers only to the right to visit a child, not to have full-time legal care and decision-making power.)
Themes
family |law |society |relationships
Definition

The legal right to look after a child and make decisions for them, usually after parents break up.

The legal right and duty to care for, live with, and make important decisions for a child, especially after the parents separate or divorce.

NOUN B2
2
őrizet B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is in custody
The suspect is being held in custody while the investigation continues.
A gyanúsítottat őrizetben tartják, amíg a nyomozás folytatódik.
She spent the night in police custody after the protest.
A tüntetés után az éjszakát rendőrségi őrizetben töltötte.
He was remanded in custody until his trial next month.
Two people are in custody in connection with the robbery.
The teenager was released from custody without charge.
Learner examples
The man is in police custody.
A férfi rendőrségi őrizetben van.
She stayed in custody for three days.
Három napig volt őrizetben.
They took him into custody after the fight.
He was kept in custody until the trial.
The police let her go and she left custody.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "in a custody" or "in the custody" without a following noun. When you mean police or prison detention, use "in custody" with no article. Use "in the custody of [someone]" when you say who is holding a person or thing.
Meaning
detention by police or prison
Collocations
in police custody |held in custody |take into custody |remain in custody |remand in custody |released from custody
Synonyms
detention (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used in legal or institutional contexts.) | confinement (Emphasizes being shut in and not free to move, not always specifically by police.)
Antonyms
release (Focuses on the act of letting someone leave police or prison custody.) | freedom (General opposite state of not being held or controlled by authorities.)
Themes
law |crime |society
Definition

The state of being held by the police or in jail so you cannot leave.

The state of being kept under official control by the police or in prison and not being free to leave.

NOUN C1 FORMAL
3
megőrzés B1
őrizet B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is in the custody of [someone/something]
The original documents are in the custody of the bank.
Az eredeti dokumentumok a bank őrizetében vannak.
The painting will remain in the custody of the national museum.
A festmény továbbra is a nemzeti múzeum őrizetében marad.
All evidence is now in police custody awaiting examination.
The company is responsible for the safe custody of clients' data.
These archives are kept in the custody of the state library.
Learner examples
The money is in the custody of the bank.
A pénz a bank őrizetében van.
The museum has custody of the old books.
A régi könyvek a múzeum őrizetében vannak.
The police have custody of the stolen car.
These files are in the custody of our office.
The school keeps student records in safe custody.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "custody" here always involves the police. In business and formal writing, it can simply mean safe and responsible care of things, without any crime.
Meaning
protective care of property or items
Collocations
in the custody of |safe custody |data custody |asset custody |museum custody |custody of records
Synonyms
safekeeping (Stresses safety and protection; less formal and more general than legal or institutional "custody".) | guardianship (Can also apply to things, but is more often used for people; slightly more personal in tone.)
Antonyms
neglect (Opposite in that the property is not cared for or protected.) | loss (Opposite result: the item is no longer held or controlled by anyone.)
Themes
business |law |security |daily_life
Definition

The care and control of important things, like money or documents, so they are safe.

The protective care, control, and safekeeping of property, documents, or other valuable items by a person or organization.

NOUN C1 TECHNICAL
4
letétkezelés C1
Usage pattern:
[organization] provides custody services for [assets]
The bank earns significant revenue from its custody business.
A bank jelentős bevételre tesz szert a letétkezelési üzletágából.
Regulators are tightening rules around crypto custody services.
A szabályozó hatóságok szigorítják a kriptoeszközök letétkezelésére vonatkozó szabályokat.
Large investors often use a separate institution for asset custody.
Learner examples
The company offers custody services for big investors.
A vállalat letétkezelési szolgáltatásokat kínál nagy befektetőknek.
He pays a fee for the bank’s custody of his shares.
Díjat fizet a részvényeinek banki letétkezeléséért.
Many funds use a special bank for asset custody.
Crypto custody is an important new business for banks.
They chose a European bank as their custody provider.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in financial news, "custody" can refer to a business service, not to children or the police. The meaning is specialized and usually appears with words like "bank", "services", or "assets".
Meaning
professional holding of financial assets
Collocations
custody services |custody bank |custody provider |custody fees |asset custody |crypto custody
Synonyms
asset servicing (Focuses more on the administrative side (e.g. collecting dividends), while "custody" emphasizes holding and safeguarding assets.)
Antonyms
self-custody (Opposite arrangement where the individual holds and controls their own assets instead of using a custodian.)
Themes
business |finance |law
Definition

A service where a bank or company keeps and manages people’s investments, like shares and bonds, for them.

A financial service in which a bank or other institution holds, safeguards, and administers clients' financial assets such as stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrencies.

Grammar
Dictionary form
custody
IPA
GB/kˈʌstədi/
US/kˈʌstədi/
Syllables & stress
cus - tody (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cus)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: custody
  • Plural: custodies, custody
Word family
Forms
custodies noun
Core family
custodial adjective custodian noun
Related words
custodianship noun
Negative and opposite forms
noncustodial adjective
Expressions

be awarded custody

1
/bˈi əwˈɔɹdɪd kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

receive child custody by court

To be officially given legal custody of a child by a judge.

Examples
  • She was awarded custody of both children.
  • In the end, neither parent was awarded custody.
  • The father hopes to be awarded custody at the next hearing.

custody agreement

1
/kˈʌstədi əɡɹˈimənt/
fixed phrase

written legal plan for custody

A written legal paper that shows what both parents have agreed about custody of their child.

Examples
  • They signed a custody agreement without going to court.
  • The lawyer reviewed the custody agreement carefully.
  • The custody agreement sets out holidays and school breaks.

custody arrangement

1
/kˈʌstədi ɚˈeɪnd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase

plan for how custody is shared

The plan that says where a child will live and how parents will share care and time with the child.

Examples
  • They worked out a custody arrangement through mediation.
  • The custody arrangement allows the children to see both parents regularly.
  • Their current custody arrangement is not working well.

custody battle

1
/kˈʌstədi bˈætəl/
fixed phrase

legal fight over child custody

A long and difficult fight in court between parents about who will have custody of their child.

Examples
  • Their bitter custody battle lasted more than two years.
  • The celebrity couple is involved in a high-profile custody battle.
  • Many children suffer emotionally during a custody battle.

custody dispute

1
/kˈʌstədi dɪspjˈut/
fixed phrase

disagreement about who gets custody

A disagreement, usually in court, about which parent should have custody of a child.

Examples
  • The custody dispute has put a lot of stress on the family.
  • They hope to resolve the custody dispute without going to trial.
  • International custody disputes can be very complicated.

custody hearing

1
/kˈʌstədi hˈɪɹɪŋ/
fixed phrase

court session about child custody

A meeting in court where a judge listens to both parents and decides who should have custody of a child.

Examples
  • The custody hearing is scheduled for next Friday.
  • She was very nervous before the custody hearing.
  • Several witnesses spoke at the custody hearing.

custody order

1
/kˈʌstədi ˈɔɹdɚ/
fixed phrase

court’s official custody decision

A paper from a court that officially says who has custody of a child and under what conditions.

Examples
  • The judge issued a temporary custody order.
  • They are asking the court to change the existing custody order.
  • Breaking a custody order can have serious legal consequences.

in custody

1
/ˈɪn kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

being officially held by police

Being held and not allowed to leave by the police or in prison.

Examples
  • Three people are in custody following the attack.
  • The suspect remains in custody until the court hearing.
  • Police confirmed that the driver is now in custody.

joint custody

1
/d͡ʒˈɔɪnt kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

shared legal care of a child

A legal plan in which both parents share the right and duty to care for their child after they separate.

Examples
  • They agreed to joint custody of their two sons.
  • The court awarded joint custody, so both parents make decisions together.
  • Many divorced couples now choose joint custody arrangements.

legal custody

1
/lˈiɡəl kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

right to make decisions for a child

The right to make important decisions for a child, like school, health care, and religion.

Examples
  • She has legal custody, so she decides which school the child attends.
  • In some cases parents share legal custody but not physical custody.
  • Legal custody does not always mean the child lives with that parent.

lose custody

1
/lˈuz kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

stop having child custody

To no longer have legal custody of a child, often because of a court decision.

Examples
  • He could lose custody if he breaks the court order.
  • Many parents fear they will lose custody in a divorce.
  • She lost custody after failing to appear in court.

physical custody

1
/fˈɪzɪkəl kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

where the child mainly lives

The part of custody that says which parent the child lives with most of the time.

Examples
  • The mother has primary physical custody of both children.
  • They share legal custody but the father has physical custody.
  • Physical custody determines where the child spends school nights.

regain custody

1
/ɹɪɡˈeɪn kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

get child custody back

To get legal custody of a child again after you did not have it for some time.

Examples
  • He is trying to regain custody of his son.
  • After treatment, she hopes to regain custody of her children.
  • The court will decide whether she can regain custody next year.

sole custody

1
/sˈoʊl kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

one parent has full custody

A legal plan in which only one parent has the main right and duty to care for a child.

Examples
  • After the divorce, she was granted sole custody of the children.
  • He is fighting for sole custody because he believes the children are unsafe.
  • In some cases, the court decides that sole custody is best.

take into custody

1
/tˈeɪk ˈɪntu kˈʌstədi/
phrasal verb

arrest and detain someone

If the police take someone into custody, they arrest them and do not let them leave.

Examples
  • Officers took the suspect into custody at the scene.
  • The police took two teenagers into custody after the fight.
  • He was taken into custody without incident.

protective custody

1
/pɹətˈɛktɪv kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase

being held for own protection

When the police or prison keep someone in a safe place to protect them from harm.

Examples
  • The witness was placed in protective custody after receiving threats.
  • The child was taken into protective custody by social services.
  • The prisoner is now in protective custody away from the main population.

protective custody

2
/pɹətˈɛktɪv kˈʌstədi/
fixed phrase technical

officially held to keep safe

When the police or other officials keep someone in a secure place to keep them safe from danger.

Examples
  • The key witness was placed in protective custody before the trial.
  • Police held the suspect in protective custody after they received threats.
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