false arrest

noun

: an arrest not justifiable under law

Examples of false arrest in a Sentence

He's suing the police for false arrest.
Recent Examples on the Web Former regional manager, Shannon Phillips, who oversaw dozens of Starbucks coffee shops and is White, was fired by the company in the aftermath of the 2018 Rittenhouse Square Starbucks incident, involving the false arrest of two Black men. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2023 Flawed facial recognition technology caused the wrongful arrest of a pregnant woman in Detroit, the latest in a string of false arrests blamed on the technology, according to a federal lawsuit filed against the city and the detective who put her behind bars. Andrea May Sahouri, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2023 Another Black man, Michael Oliver, sued the city in 2021 claiming that his false arrest because of the technology in 2019 led him to lose his job. Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2023 Jefferson's lawsuit claims police have subjected Lexington residents to false arrests, excessive force and intimidation. Michael Goldberg, ajc, 11 June 2023 The lawsuit, filed last week, accuses the officers of excessive force, false arrest, and malicious prosecution, among other claims. Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 5 May 2023 The contractor confiscated the Mexican farmworkers’ passports, demanded exorbitant fees from them and threatened them with deportation or false arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Mike Schneider, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2023 Allegations of false arrest In his next two excessive force cases, Hess was investigated for allegedly injuring and falsely arresting two men of color for public drunkeness. Dallas Morning News, 6 July 2023 The contractor confiscated the Mexican farmworkers' passports, demanded exorbitant fees from them and threatened them with deportation or false arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Mike Schneider, ajc, 18 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'false arrest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of false arrest was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near false arrest

Cite this Entry

“False arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20arrest. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Legal Definition

false arrest

see arrest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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