✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

house arrest

noun

Synonyms of house arrestnext
: confinement often under guard to one's house or quarters instead of in prison

Examples of house arrest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In May 2024, while Gill was on house arrest in a program designed to transition prisoners about to exit custody, the company became active, and Gill marketed his investment services to potential investors, court documents said. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Dec. 2025 He was sentenced to three years of probation and briefly placed on house arrest in 2023 for violating the terms of the probation. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025 The 70-year-old politician was taken to the headquarters of the country's federal police in the capital, Brasilia, from his house arrest. NPR, 22 Nov. 2025 Moraes ordered authorities to seize his cellphone and confine him to house arrest, limiting visits to his family and allies. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for house arrest

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of house arrest was in 1810

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“House arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/house%20arrest. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on house arrest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!