arrest
Americanverb (used with object)
-
arrests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
arrested,
past participle, past
-
arresting
present participle
-
to seize (a person) by legal authority or warrant; take into custody.
The police arrested the burglar.
- Synonyms:
- apprehend
-
to catch and hold; attract and fix; engage.
The loud noise arrested our attention.
-
to check the course of; stop; slow down.
to arrest progress.
- Synonyms:
- stay
-
Medicine/Medical. to control or stop the active progress of (a disease).
The new drug did not arrest the cancer.
noun
-
arrests
plural
-
the taking of a person into legal custody, as by officers of the law.
- Synonyms:
- imprisonment, apprehension, detention
-
any seizure or taking by force.
-
an act of stopping or the state of being stopped.
the arrest of tooth decay.
-
Machinery. any device for stopping machinery; stop.
idioms
verb
-
to deprive (a person) of liberty by taking him into custody, esp under lawful authority
-
to seize (a ship) under lawful authority
-
to slow or stop the development or progress of (a disease, growth, etc)
-
to catch and hold (one's attention, sight, etc)
-
law to stay proceedings after a verdict, on the grounds of error or possible error
-
informal (of a performer) is unrecognized and unsuccessful
he can't get arrested here but is a megastar in the States
noun
-
the act of taking a person into custody, esp under lawful authority
-
the act of seizing and holding a ship under lawful authority
-
the state of being held, esp under lawful authority
under arrest
-
Also called: arrestation. the slowing or stopping of the development or progress of something
-
the stopping or sudden cessation of motion of something
a cardiac arrest
Usage
What does arrest mean? To arrest someone is to seize them or take them into custody with authority. Related to that, an arrest is the act of police or other law enforcement officials detaining someone suspected of committing a crime when there is probable cause. Arrest can also more generally mean to attract and engage, such as with attention or sight. For example, a loud clap of thunder might arrest your attention for a moment, if you weren’t expecting it. Arrest also means to slow or stop, such as with progress or growth. You might, for example, arrest the growth of a plant by keeping it in the dark while continuing to water it. Such an arrest could lead the plant to die. Example: You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit grand theft auto.
Synonym Usage
See stop.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
arrestmentnoun
-
prearrestmentnoun
-
prearrestverb (used with object)
-
rearrestverb (used with object)
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arrestableadjective
-
postarrestadjective
-
unarrestableadjective
-
unarrestedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
arrestsimple
-
arrestssimple
-
have arrestedperfect
-
has arrestedperfect
-
am arrestingprogressive
-
are arrestingprogressive
-
is arrestingprogressive
-
have been arrestingperfect progressive
-
has been arrestingperfect progressive
Past
-
arrestedsimple
-
had arrestedperfect
-
was arrestingprogressive
-
were arrestingprogressive
-
had been arrestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of arrest
1275–1325; (v.) Middle English aresten < Anglo-French, Middle French arester, < Vulgar Latin *arrestāre to stop ( see ar-, rest 2); (noun) Middle English arest ( e ) < Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of v.
Explanation
To arrest someone is to put them in custody for breaking the law. If you face arrest, your criminal activities will be "at rest" because you'll be behind bars, or in jail. Arrest is both a noun and a verb. When you place a person "under arrest," you take them into custody and hold them so they can’t continue breaking the law. A police officer or other agent of the law will arrest a person often by physically taking them away. In addition to the legal meaning, arrest means "stop." To arrest motion is to stop a person or thing from moving.
Vocabulary lists containing arrest
Warm-up, List 1
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"Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There are three warrants for her arrest in Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Mathewson had been a self-employed childminder for 30 years prior to her arrest.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Tokyo said Friday it had demanded the immediate release of Japan Tobacco's assets seized in Russia, as relations with Moscow sour following the arrest of a Japanese journalist on spying allegations.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
He declined to discuss the arrest of his son but scoffed at the idea that he was part of ETA.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Of course, there was one country Bobby still couldn’t travel to, since if he did it would mean almost certain arrest: the United States.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Police told the family that they expected a break in the case soon, but no arrests have been announced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
According to Home Office figures seen by the BBC, 3,630 arrests were made in the year ending June 2026.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
A smaller number of protesters also rallied outside the US consulate in the Scottish capital Edinburgh on Saturday, but no arrests were made there at the time.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
Officers on Saturday made arrests into the evening, taking people to police vans for transfer, to the applause of many protesters, some of whom chanted: "Free, free Palestine."
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Today the FBI’s juvenile violent-crime index, which measures arrests for murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, is lower than it was in 1980, and that’s true across racial lines.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Dutch news agency ANP reported that police arrested between 150 and 200 protesters.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Saudi national had been an employee on OpenAI’s product team since July 2025 until he was fired in October, the same day he was arrested and charged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Cambodian authorities have said he is among at least six Prince Group ringleaders arrested, while casinos, buildings and other real estate valued at nearly $1 billion have been frozen.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Two 16-year-old boys from Southampton arrested earlier in the week remain in custody after the court granted officer more time to continue questioning them.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Not all of the top Nazis were tried at Nuremberg: Several committed suicide before they could be arrested or taken to trial.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Dentists refer to this as arresting tooth decay, meaning the damaged area stops deteriorating.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
"What the regime wants is to intimidate, silence and frighten society through such pressure -- by arresting individual journalists, seizing media outlets, banning news coverage and blocking access to social media," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
Tusk thanked the police for "swift and decisive action" in arresting the suspect.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
That her visually striking commentaries are emotionally arresting makes that accomplishment all the more impressive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Of course, the police didn’t do anything about it. Wouldn’t even consider arresting Marion. If anything, they would have found a way to arrest Coach Dub.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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