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
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Andrew Zabavsky filed the civil lawsuit Monday in federal court in Washington, seeking damages for malicious prosecution, false arrest, and false imprisonment. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2026 The answer—spoiler alert—is that the protagonist’s ideology convinces him that his own false arrest must be a correct, scientific application of the Marxist dialectic. Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026 The lawsuit accuses federal agents of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment, false arrest, and gross negligence. Todd Feurer, CBS News, 18 May 2026 Yet, Hendry voiced no sympathy for Brown’s false arrest, humiliation and psychological trauma. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for false arrest

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“False arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20arrest. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

false arrest

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