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

The Bangor Conwy Môn MS took over after her predecessor Dan Thomas quit as leader following an arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Many have linked her arrest to the protests that have been organised across the country on 27 September, when demonstrators plan to march to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

I think when people talk about not wanting to criminalize homelessness, the policies there are really around not punishing people for not having a home, not wanting to arrest people for being on the streets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

This led to his arrest for sedition and, ultimately, his ongoing exile in America.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

Are they gonna arrest us for trying to bring JP in?

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

In some cases the agency has detained U.S. citizens as part of its program of arrests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Dalhatu told the BBC that security officers had been pursuing suspected illegal miners in the community for several days before making arrests.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

More than 250 arrests have been made and 84 operations have been carried out since the ORCs launch in 2024.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Police say its database, searchable with a few keystrokes, has sped up arrests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The police and security forces were making very few arrests.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Senior police officer KS Anupam said three minors had been arrested and that investigators had established the involvement of two other people.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

And he defended Mr. Trump up to the moment when Jimmy was arrested.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Bechi had been teaching at the school for at least a decade when he was arrested in 2022 despite public opposition.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's party said on Monday that his three sisters had been arrested.

From Barron's

The Gestapo arrested Karl and Rudi and a third boy, Gerhard Düwer, also seventeen, who had simply read the flyers and failed to report them.

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

In Europe and elsewhere, co-ordinated, multi-national police and customs operations take place regularly, seizing large numbers of stolen antiquities and arresting some of the traffickers.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The production is marked by a rare fluidity and ease, while at the same time bristling with energy and bright humor interspersed with moments of arresting, rich feeling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The ruling requires federal immigration agents to consider the totality of the circumstances known to them before arresting someone without a warrant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Berlin expelled a Russian diplomat in January after arresting a woman suspected of spying for Moscow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

“Myma is still in New York, her native habitat. No doubt she is trying to taunt the police into arresting her in some demonstration at this very moment.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

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