- 1 [transitive, often passive] if the police arrest somebody, the person is taken to a police station and kept there because the police believe they may be guilty of a crime arrest somebody A man has been arrested in connection with the robbery. arrest somebody for something She was arrested for drug-related offences. arrest somebody for doing something You could get arrested for doing that. Wordfinderpolicearrest, charge, cordon, detain, detective, interrogate, plain clothes, police, raid, undercover CollocationsCriminal justiceBreaking the law break/violate/obey/uphold the law be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud face two charges of indecent assault admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something) deny the allegations/claims/charges confess to a crime grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bailThe legal process stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court face/avoid/escape prosecution seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock plead guilty/not guilty to a crime be called to/enter (British English) the witness box take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody raise/withdraw/overrule an objection reach a unanimous/majority verdict return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death convict/acquit the defendant of the crime secure a conviction/your acquittal lodge/file an appeal appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdictSentencing and punishment pass sentence on somebody carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence receive/be given the death penalty be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail) carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment) be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder do/serve time/ten years be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison be/put somebody/spend X years on death row be granted/be denied/break (your) parole See related entries: Solving crime, The police
- 2[transitive] arrest something (formal) to stop a process or a development They failed to arrest the company's decline.
- 3[transitive] arrest something (formal) to make somebody notice something and pay attention to it An unusual noise arrested his attention.
- 4[intransitive] (medical) if somebody arrests, their heart stops beating He arrested on the way to the hospital. Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French arester, based on Latin ad- ‘at, to’ + restare ‘remain, stop’.Extra examples Detectives arrested a man in Brighton in connection with the murder. She was arrested for the murder of her husband. Five people were arrested for drug-related offences. Steps need to be taken quickly to arrest the deterioration in the countries’ relationship. The spread of the disease can be arrested with drugs. They failed to arrest the company’s decline.
verb jump to other results
BrE BrE//əˈrest//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrest//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they arrest BrE BrE//əˈrest//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrest//
he / she / it arrests BrE BrE//əˈrests//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrests//
past simple arrested BrE BrE//əˈrestɪd//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrestɪd//
past participle arrested BrE BrE//əˈrestɪd//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrestɪd//
-ing form arresting BrE BrE//əˈrestɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//əˈrestɪŋ//
Solving crime, The policeCheck pronunciation: arrest
