arrest

1 of 2

verb

ar·​rest ə-ˈrest How to pronounce arrest (audio)
arrested; arresting; arrests

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 noun
or less commonly arrestor
arrestment noun

arrest

2 of 2

noun

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
Phrases
under arrest
: in legal custody
The suspect was placed under arrest.

Examples of arrest in a Sentence

Verb 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. Noun 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 on the Web
Verb
The teenager arrested in Alexandria was the last of four people wanted in the March 6 shooting at a Philadelphia bus stop, the Marshals Service said. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The law allows state police to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally and to force them to accept a magistrate judge's deportation order or face stiffer criminal penalties. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Isabella Maria DeLuca was arrested last Friday in Irvine, California, on misdemeanor charges, including theft of government property, disorderly conduct and entering a restricted area. Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 For now, though, Texas law enforcement officials will be allowed to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The pair, who authorities said are Afghan citizens, were arrested near the city of Gera in Thuringia, central Germany, on suspicion of terrorism, the statement said. CNN has reached out to Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin for comment. Chris Stern, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024 Entertainment & Arts Hollywood insiders on Jonathan Majors’ future: Public missteps ‘made a bad situation worse’ Feb. 6, 2024 Majors was arrested on March 25, 2023, over a confrontation with Jabbari during a car ride in Manhattan the previous night. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked roads near the White House and U.S. Capitol as President Biden was set to deliver the State of the Union address Thursday, and police arrested one man who allegedly revved his engine and headed toward one such crowd of demonstrators. Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Thursday accused of stabbing a Rancho Cordova sports bar employee multiple times Thursday, leaving one victim with life-threatening injuries. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
When Hong Kong imposed bounties for the arrests of pro-democracy advocates abroad, including U.S. citizens and residents, the State Department responded with condemnation, not sanctions. The Editors, National Review, 21 Mar. 2024 According to an affidavit filed in court to obtain an arrest warrant, Marquez attended the Maya Angelou Public Charter School as recently as Jan. 31. Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Police found a vehicle suspected to be the one involved in the abduction on Monday and further investigation led to the arrest of two teenage suspects, according to police. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024 The Miami-Dade Schools Police arrest report obtained by 7 News Miami said the two ran over to the fight together. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 But officers in Texas had not yet made any arrests under the law when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order later in the day, restoring, for the moment, an injunction blocking implementation of the law that had been issued by a lower court. J. David Goodman, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The documents show that 41 letters were written in support of Peck, who was a Nickelodeon dialogue coach and actor before his 2003 arrest. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Nearly a year after his arrest, the criminal charges against Hagerty have been dropped, The Denver Post reports. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024 A week after Ruby’s body was found two years ago, Baron allegedly admitted to the murder, according to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word '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

Etymology

Verb

Middle English aresten, arresten "to stop, halt (something or someone), come to a halt, wait, restrain, seize (a lawbreaker), take into custody," borrowed from Anglo-French arester (also continental Old French), going back to Vulgar Latin *arrestāre, from Latin ad- ad- (in Vulgar Latin marking or reinforcing transitivity) + restāre "to remain, be left unchanged" — more at rest entry 4

Noun

Middle English arest, arrest, borrowed from Anglo-French arest, areste, noun derivative of arester "to stop, hinder, seize and detain (a lawbreaker)" — more at arrest entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of arrest was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near arrest

Cite this Entry

“Arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrest. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arrest

1 of 2 verb
ar·​rest ə-ˈrest How to pronounce arrest (audio)
1
a
: to stop the progress or movement of
b
: check entry 2 sense 3, slow
arrest a disease
2
: to take or keep in one's control by authority of law
arrest someone on suspicion of robbery
3
: to attract and hold the attention of
colors that arrest the eye

arrest

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the act of stopping
b
: the state of being stopped
2
: the act of taking or holding in one's control by authority of law

Medical Definition

arrest

1 of 2 transitive verb
ar·​rest ə-ˈrest How to pronounce arrest (audio)
: 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 surgeryWayne Fields
arrestment noun

arrest

2 of 2 noun
: the condition of being stopped
developmental arrest
see cardiac arrest compare cure entry 1 sense 1, remission

Legal Definition

arrest

1 of 2 noun
ar·​rest
ə-ˈrest
: 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 sense 2, warrant compare stop
citizen's 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

arrest

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to place under arrest
arrester noun
also arrestor
Etymology

Noun

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

More from Merriam-Webster on 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!