VocabauraVOCABAURA

arrest

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A check; a stop.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

erehst

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɚˈɛst

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. law

    The process of arresting a criminal, suspect etc.

  2. A confinement, detention, as after an arrest.

  3. A check; a stop; an act or instance of arresting something.

  4. The condition of being stopped, standstill.

  5. A device to physically arrest motion.

verb

  1. transitive

    To seize (someone) with the authority of the law; to take into legal custody.

  2. Cause to stop

  3. transitive

    To stop or slow (a process, course etc.).

  4. transitive

    To catch the attention of.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: The process of arresting a criminal, suspect etc.

Used this way, arrest is a specialist word with a faintly unfavourable edge. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.

Emotional tone
Slightly negative
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Critical or judgemental
Usage feel
Clinical and detached

Where it naturally appears

  • Law/legal
  • Government/politics
  • Academic writing

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Nearby words

  • apprehension , a specialist term, precise but narrower

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “arrest”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

arrest warrantcardiac arresthouse arrestrespiratory arrestarbitrary arrest

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • arrest warrantnounCompound term

    A warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to apprehend an offender and bring that person to court.

  • arrested developmentnounCompound term

    An abnormal state in which development has stopped prematurely.

  • arrester hooknounCompound term

    A restraint that slows airplanes as they land on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

  • cardiac arrestnounCompound term

    Absence of systole.

  • cardiopulmonary arrestnounCompound term

    Absence of systole.

  • house arrestnounCompound term

    Confinement to your own home.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

noun

Sense: arresting a criminal or suspect etc

apprehensionTechnical

verb

Sense: to seize (someone) with the authority of the law

nabInformalapprehendcatchDated

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “arrest” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.