arrest

verb ar·rest \ ə-ˈrest \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of arrest

transitive verb

1 : seize, capture; specifically : to take or keep in custody by authority of law

Police arrested the suspect.

2 a : to bring to a stop

Sickness arrested his activities.

b : check, slow

Its growth was arrested.

c : to make inactive

an arrested tumor

3 : to catch suddenly and engagingly

arrest attention

—

arrester

or less commonly arrestor play \-ˈres-tər\ noun

—

arrestment

play \-ˈres(t)-mənt\ noun

See arrest defined for English-language learners

See arrest defined for kids

Examples of arrest in a Sentence

The police arrested him on drug charges.
The police officer said, “I'm arresting you in the name of the law.”
The drugs can't arrest the disease's progress, but they can slow it down considerably.

Recent Examples of arrest from the Web

He was arrested Thursday after a woman told 911 her husband had chased a black male who tried to break in.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Detroit-area man allegedly shot at black teen who asked for directions," 13 Apr. 2018
Soon afterward, he was arrested over shooting a gun from his vehicle.

— catherine e. shoichet, CNN, "A deported veteran is about to become a US citizen. Wait ... what?," 13 Apr. 2018
He was arrested after their bodies were found in October 2015 wrapped in tarps behind the Weston home of a former friend of Kyle’s.

— dave altimari, courant.com, "Trial of Kyle Navin, Accused of Murdering His Parents, Set To Begin," 13 Apr. 2018
All those arrested are innocent until proven guilty.

— fernando alfonso iii, Houston Chronicle, "Houston police arrested more than 120 suspects on sex trade-related crimes so far in 2018," 12 Apr. 2018
She was arrested and booked into the Boone County Jail on Tuesday and was released less than an hour later, jail records indicate.

— holly v. hays, Indianapolis Star, "Money stolen from Boys and Girls Club paid for Michael Kors purses and more, police say," 11 Apr. 2018
Many of those arrested or fired have proclaimed their innocence.

— Fox News, "Turkey: 3 wanted for ties to US-based cleric seized in Gabon," 10 Apr. 2018
There were isolated indications that those arrested, aged between 18 and 21 years, were participating in the preparation of a crime in connection with this event,’’ prosecutors and police said.

— kirsten grieshaber, BostonGlobe.com, "German van driver had run-ins with police, suicidal thoughts," 8 Apr. 2018
The Turkish officials said all of those arrested had been linked to Fethullah Gulen, the reclusive Turkish Islamic cleric who lives in Pennsylvania.

— rick gladstone, New York Times, "Turkish Secret Agents Seized 80 People in 18 Countries, Official Says," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arrest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arrest

Middle English aresten, from Anglo-French arester to stop, arrest, from Vulgar Latin *arrestare, from Latin ad- + restare to remain — more at rest

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

arrest Synonyms

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

arrest

noun

Definition of arrest

1 : the taking or detaining in custody by authority of law

The investigation led to his arrest.

2 a : the act of stopping

b : the condition of being stopped or inactive — compare cardiac arrest

— under arrest

: in legal custody

The suspect was placed under arrest.

See arrest defined for English-language learners

Examples of arrest in a Sentence

The police are investigating the case but they have not yet made any arrests.
She was charged with resisting arrest.
The information has led to the arrest of three suspects.

Recent Examples of arrest from the Web

While that is a slight decrease from 2016, the number of arrests leading to deportation has increased from 27 percent in 2016 to 36 percent in 2017, under the Trump presidency, according to ICE data.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Atherton High School graduate, a refugee from South Sudan, has been deported by ICE," 12 Apr. 2018
The victims of a double homicide found Monday in an apartment on Lambourne Road in Towson had histories of arrests, court records show.

— libby solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Details emerge on Towson double homicide," 12 Apr. 2018
Before Rajneesh fled his deteriorating legal and political situation in India for the constitutional protections of the United States, there was a rash of arrests of his disciples for international drug smuggling at European and Canadian airports.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "Bhagwan’s Bottom Line II," 12 Apr. 2018
Word of the arrests brought relief to Malaysia's family.

— vic ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "Source: Video shows shooters fire into home where 1-year-old Malaysia Robson killed," 11 Apr. 2018
According to 2017 statistics compiled by the state, blacks accounted for 48 percent of arrests in New York City for the lowest level of marijuana possession, while Latinos accounted for 38 percent, compared to 9 percent for whites.

— Washington Post, "Nixon: Support for legalizing marijuana use a racial issue," 11 Apr. 2018
Just the sight of an immigration officer stopped at a gas station to buy a soda can be enough to start rumors in the local immigrant community of possible impending arrests.

— kate morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Emergency response network to aid immigrants grows in response to ramped up enforcement," 9 Apr. 2018
Under European rules, a decision on extradition should happen within 60 days of arrest.

— pietro decristofaro and geir moulson, chicagotribune.com, "Catalonia's defiant ex-leader freed on bail from German jail," 6 Apr. 2018
There have been unconfirmed reports in the Turkish press of arrests in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan.

— rick gladstone, New York Times, "Turkish Secret Agents Seized 80 People in 18 Countries, Official Says," 5 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of arrest

see ¹arrest

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

arrest Synonyms

Synonyms

arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, end, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination;

Antonyms

continuance, continuation;

Near Antonyms

extension, persistence, prolongation;

Related Words

mop-up, phaseout;

abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension;

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

ARREST Defined for English Language Learners

arrest

verb

Definition of arrest for English Language Learners

: to use the power of the law to take and keep (someone, such as a criminal)
: to stop the progress or movement of (something)
: to attract and hold the attention of (someone or something)

arrest

noun

Definition of arrest for English Language Learners

: the act of legally taking and keeping someone (such as a criminal) : the act of arresting someone
medical : an occurrence in which a part of the body suddenly stops working

ARREST Defined for Kids

arrest

verb ar·rest \ ə-ˈrest \

Definition of arrest for Students

arrested; arresting

1 : to take or keep control over (someone) by authority of law

She was arrested on suspicion of robbery.

2 : to stop the progress or movement of : check

arrest a disease

3 : to attract and hold the attention of

But I was suddenly arrested by a sight that only Grandma and I saw.
—Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder

arrest

noun

Definition of arrest for Students

: the act of taking or holding a person by authority of law

Medical Dictionary

arrest

transitive verb ar·rest \ ə-ˈrest \

medical Definition of arrest

: to bring to a standstill or state of inactivity

arrested tuberculosis

arrested labor

intransitive verb

: to undergo cardiac arrest

the…patient has arrested while being transported to surgery
—Wayne Fields

—

arrestment

noun

arrest

noun

medical Definition of arrest

: the condition of being stopped

developmental arrest

— see cardiac arrest — compare cure 1, remission

Law Dictionary

arrest

noun ar·rest \ ə-ˈrest \

legal Definition of arrest

: the restraining and seizure of a person whether or not by physical force by someone acting under authority (as a police officer) in connection with a crime in such a manner that it is reasonable under the circumstances for the person to believe that he or she is not free to leave — see also miranda warnings, probable cause at cause 2, warrant — compare stop

— citizenʼs arrest

: an arrest made not by a law officer but by any citizen who derives the authority to arrest from the fact of being a citizen

Note: Under common law, a citizen may make an arrest for any felony actually committed, or for a breach of the peace committed in his or her presence.

— civil arrest

: the arrest and detention of a defendant in a civil suit until he or she posts bail or pays the judgment — see also capias ad respondendum

Note: Civil arrest is restricted or prohibited in most states.

— custodial arrest

: an arrest of a person accompanied by or followed by taking the person into custody

— false arrest

: an arrest made without legal authority — called also unlawful arrest

Note: If a person is taken into custody, no matter how briefly, a false arrest is also false imprisonment.

— pretext arrest \ˈprē-ˌtekst-\

: the arrest of a person for a minor crime (as a traffic violation) for the real purpose of getting an opportunity to investigate (as through a search) the person's possible involvement in a more serious crime for which there are no lawful grounds to make an arrest — called also pretextual arrest

— unlawful arrest

: false arrest in this entry

— under arrest

: in the condition of being restrained under legal authority

Origin and Etymology of arrest

Middle French arest, from arester to stop, seize, arrest, ultimately from Latin ad to, at + restare to stay

arrest

transitive verb

legal Definition of arrest

: to place under arrest

—

arrester

also arrestor noun

Learn More about arrest

See words that rhyme with arrest Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for arrest Spanish Central: Translation of arrest Nglish: Translation of arrest for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of arrest for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arrest

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arrest

Definition of arrest

arrester

arrestment

Examples of arrest in a Sentence

Recent Examples of arrest from the Web

Origin and Etymology of arrest

arrest Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Legal Terms

arrest

Definition of arrest

Examples of arrest in a Sentence

Recent Examples of arrest from the Web

Origin and Etymology of arrest

arrest Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Legal Terms

Phrases Related to ARREST

Related Phrases

ARREST Defined for English Language Learners

arrest

Definition of arrest for English Language Learners

arrest

Definition of arrest for English Language Learners

ARREST Defined for Kids

arrest

Definition of arrest for Students

arrest

Definition of arrest for Students

Medical Dictionary

arrest

medical Definition of arrest

arrestment

arrest

medical Definition of arrest

Law Dictionary

arrest

legal Definition of arrest

Origin and Etymology of arrest

arrest

legal Definition of arrest

arrester

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