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

One of the officers who had interrogated Smith after his arrest later testified that he believed Smith was innocent.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

The arrest occurred Aug. 13, according to inmate and court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

When emergency responders in Greenville, S.C., found Panettiere in an apartment on Sunday, she was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Major W. H. Smith went to Surratt’s boardinghouse to arrest the residents and search the house.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

They added that as "two French representatives directly witnessed part of these events" Paris should "fully establish the circumstances of these arrests" and "take every necessary step to guarantee their rights, safety and release".

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

It comes after three arrests connected to the same case were made in March.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They have confirmed two people have been interviewed but made no arrests.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Atlanta-based Flock said the tool has already been associated with the arrests of several officers accused of abusing the system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

White men comprised 78 percent of the arrests for this offense in 1990 when new mandatory minimums governing drunk driving were being adopted.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Police say nobody has been arrested or formally interviewed in the matter.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The captain of an overloaded boat that capsized in New York Harbor earlier this month, killing a woman and her 5-month-old infant, has been arrested by federal authorities and faces deportation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The year prior, French journalist Thomas Dietrich was arrested while covering electoral campaigning in Togo and was later expelled from the country, according to the International Press Institute.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The BBC has been told he was arrested on Tuesday near Uppingham in a joint operation led by the Midlands Criminal Financial Investigations team, with the support of Leicestershire Police.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

I counted those who had been arrested with us: 35 people from the raid on the Beje.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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

This suggests that BOJ tightening will be crucial to arresting the fall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

That changed last year, attorneys said in the motion, citing an email from ICE headquarters in late May 2025 instructing field offices to begin arresting “collaterals,” or nontargets, en masse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the government on Tuesday, saying it had acted swiftly after the exam paper leaks by arresting several people.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

They are large and arresting, as if she sees everything.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Related Words

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