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

It’s so meaningful to them that many are risking arrest.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

ICE has argued that the expired visas are grounds for arrest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

"She was in cardiac arrest when I got in there," Beth said, adding that Menna had suffered a catastrophic brain injury which she would not recover from.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Witnesses working in a nearby restaurant said police had used tasers to arrest the woman, who was known locally as a homeless person who regularly frequented the area.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

If Mother could arrange a face-to-face meeting, he might be able to arrest him.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

In the early hours of Thursday, two further arrests were made following Wednesday's unrest.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

ICE is holding more than 65,000 detainees as the agency touts record-high arrests this summer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Officers at ICE had made occasional arrests at airports over the past year, but the agency has since stepped up enforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

They added that since Labour came to power, Immigration Enforcement action has increased "to the highest level in British history, with illegal working arrests up by 83% and raids up by 77%."

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

In the six months of the fair the Columbian Guard made only 2,929 arrests, about sixteen per day, typically for disorderly conduct, petty theft, and pickpocketing, with pickpockets most favoring the fair’s always-crowded aquarium.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

In July, ICE reported it had arrested 51,000 people, the largest number in the Department of Homeland Security’s history, according to ABC News.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Late last month in Denver, ICE officers arrested a woman on a jet bridge for a Southwest flight, an incident that was recorded on video and drew media attention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Police said a 35-year-old white British man, who was known to the girl, had been arrested.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Over a month later, Olejniczak Marodi was arrested at a hotel in the Ferrocarril neighborhood of Mexicali, according to the Baja California Citizen Security Secretariat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Suspected of disloyalty to the Union, federal forces arrested and jailed him for months at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington.

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

While “Confessions II” is a strong dance set with real variety and relentless drive, it’s not, by design, an arresting pop album.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

While imagining scenarios, he came up with an arresting image for the Trojan horse, “listing over in the sand” in a way that intentionally echoes the Statue of Liberty in “Planet of the Apes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

He is protected by thousands of Indigenous supporters who have so far prevented police from arresting him.

From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026

Police bosses admitted not arresting Calocane had been a "serious and systemic and operational failure".

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 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