house arrest

American

noun

confinement of an arrested person to their residence or to a public place, such as a hospital, instead of in a jail.

He was under house arrest until the day of his trial.

house arrest British

noun

confinement to one's own home

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

house arrest Cultural

Forcible detention in one's house rather than in a prison. House arrest is used by some nations as a way to silence political dissent without the elaborate trials and criminal proceedings that would bring bad publicity.

Etymology

Origin of house arrest

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

But her house arrest order was lifted following the French couple's departure from Iran, her lawyer told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The “Federal Contraband” hitmaker was still on house arrest in January when the alleged music studio takeover took place.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

He was also recorded in "excruciating detail" on about 20 prison calls discussing his international travel plans for the next few months, despite having been on house arrest since 2024.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

The Supreme Court has until now denied requests that he be allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

With the death of the first Ptolemy, Demetrius was placed under house arrest, never to see freedom again.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023