arrest

American  

[uh-rest] / əˈrɛst /

verb (used with object)

• arrests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• arrested,
  past participle,  past
• arresting
  present participle

1. to seize (a person) by legal authority or warrant; take into custody.

   The police arrested the burglar.

   Synonyms:

   apprehend

2. to catch and hold; attract and fix; engage.

   The loud noise arrested our attention.

   Synonyms:

   occupy, rivet, secure

3. to check the course of; stop; slow down.

   to arrest progress.

   Synonyms:

   stay

4. Medicine/Medical. to control or stop the active progress of (a disease).

   The new drug did not arrest the cancer.

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noun

• arrests
  plural

1. the taking of a person into legal custody, as by officers of the law.

   Synonyms:

   imprisonment, apprehension, detention

2. any seizure or taking by force.

3. an act of stopping or the state of being stopped.

   the arrest of tooth decay.

   Synonyms:

   check, stay, halt, stoppage

4. Machinery. any device for stopping machinery; stop.

idioms

1. under arrest, in custody of the police or other legal authorities.

   They placed the suspect under arrest at the scene of the crime.

arrest British  

/ əˈrɛst /

verb

1. to deprive (a person) of liberty by taking him into custody, esp under lawful authority

2. to seize (a ship) under lawful authority

3. to slow or stop the development or progress of (a disease, growth, etc)

4. to catch and hold (one's attention, sight, etc)

5. law to stay proceedings after a verdict, on the grounds of error or possible error

6. informal (of a performer) is unrecognized and unsuccessful

   he can't get arrested here but is a megastar in the States

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noun

1. the act of taking a person into custody, esp under lawful authority

2. the act of seizing and holding a ship under lawful authority

3. the state of being held, esp under lawful authority

   under arrest

4. Also called: arrestation.  the slowing or stopping of the development or progress of something

5. the stopping or sudden cessation of motion of something

   a cardiac arrest

arrest More Idioms  

1. see under arrest.

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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

• arrestment
  noun
• prearrestment
  noun
• prearrest
  verb (used with object)
• rearrest
  verb (used with object)
• arrestable
  adjective
• postarrest
  adjective
• unarrestable
  adjective
• unarrested
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• arrests
  plural

Participles

• arresting
  present
• arrested
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• arrest
  simple
• arrests
  simple
• have arrested
  perfect
• has arrested
  perfect
• am arresting
  progressive
• are arresting
  progressive
• is arresting
  progressive
• have been arresting
  perfect progressive
• has been arresting
  perfect progressive

Past

• arrested
  simple
• had arrested
  perfect
• was arresting
  progressive
• were arresting
  progressive
• had been arresting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will arrest
  simple
• will have arrested
  perfect
• will be arresting
  progressive
• will have been arresting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arrest arrests arrested arresting

Dimon has denied ever meeting Epstein or knowing about him until his 2019 arrest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Le's pickup truck was illegally parked on a street near the US Supreme Court building and the US Capitol at the time of his arrest.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Pace bowler Carse was briefly placed under arrest on a night out with his Durham team-mates in Derby at the weekend.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

The disqualification sparked protests in Moscow, leading to the arrest of some demonstrators and brief jail terms for four people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Three days later, Karl found out about Helmuth’s arrest as he sat in church.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Twelve arrests had already been made, bringing the total to 17.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

She referred questions about arrests to the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

A number of search warrants have been executed and it is a "possibility" there could be further arrests related to the case, she said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The federation confirmed he was suspended from his role "due to an ongoing police investigation" in a statement issued days after the arrests.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The police broke up the ruckus and no arrests were made.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Officers with the Nevada Violent Offender Task Force arrested Hughes after tracking him down to a southeast Las Vegas apartment, Robert Clark, a U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

A Southern California man who had a guillotine in the back of his pickup truck has been arrested near the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

A second man, Steven Gordon, 39 was also arrested in Garthamlock, less than four miles away, in a simultaneous operation.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

The artist, Gao Zhen, is a U.S. permanent resident who was arrested when he was visiting his studio on the outskirts of Beijing in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Early was arrested and returned to Carville to serve an additional six months.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

It is part of a push by President Emmanuel Macron for children to spend less time in front of screens, which the government fears is arresting their development.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

A critical duty was arresting 27% inflation, which Zhu accomplished by putting himself in control of the financial sector and firing hapless officials including the country’s central-bank chief.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

She told her arresting officers she did not know Levy's name but she had seen him in the area.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

After immigration agents began arresting people in courthouses, many immigrants grew wary of showing up for court proceedings, which has aided the increase in removal orders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Everything I told them, and they’re not arresting him?

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• apprehend
• capture
• catch
• detain
• imprison
• incarcerate
• jail
• round up
• seize