of a criminal offense      
      
                                
                                        
      
              
      
                                
              
          
                                                      : identified by statute as an offense for which arrest is authorized                                      
                
                                
            broadly                
          
                                                      : of a sufficiently serious nature or committed in such circumstances that arrest is authorized                                       
              
                             Berzon noted that under Washington law, the officers had no authority to take Brooks into custody: Failure to sign a traffic infraction is not an arrestable offense, and it's not illegal to resist an unlawful arrest.    — Mike Carter,                Seattle Times,                2 Oct. 2010
Mike Carter,                Seattle Times,                2 Oct. 2010                                    
                          
            
   
                   
             
                    
                        
        
        
        
                
                
                
        
                
     
    
                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                            
            
                                    
                        
                                                    
                                
                       
                                        
                
                                                
                            
            
                                    
                                    
                        
                                            
                                                            
                                    
                                                                
                                
                                    
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
                                        
                                                    
                            
                                                               
                                                
  
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  Merriam-Webster unabridged
 
                          
                    
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