# arrest

/ɝˈɛst/ (US) · /ɐɹˈɛst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/arrest
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. legal seizure

verb · CEFR B1

when the police take someone away because they believe the person broke the law.

For teachers: to seize someone by legal authority and take them into custody.

- The police had to arrest the man after he tried to steal a car.
- Officers moved in to arrest the suspect as he was attempting to board an international flight at the city's main airport.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, usually a person.

### 2. to stop or slow

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to stop something from moving or to slow down a process.

For teachers: to check or halt the motion or progress of something.

- The doctors gave him medicine to arrest the spread of the infection.
- The new government policy was designed to arrest the decline of the manufacturing sector before the economic crisis deepened further.

### 3. to catch attention

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to suddenly get someone's attention because something is very interesting or unusual.

For teachers: to attract and fix the attention or interest of someone.

- The bright colors of the painting will arrest your attention immediately.
- The stark contrast of the ruins against the modern skyline was enough to arrest the attention of every passerby.

### 4. the act of being taken by police

noun · CEFR B1

the act of the police catching someone and taking them to jail.

For teachers: the act of taking a person into custody under the authority of the law.

- The news reported the arrest of three people after the bank robbery.
- The sudden arrest of the CEO sent shockwaves through the financial markets and caused the company's stock price to tumble.

### 5. medical emergency

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a sudden stop in the normal working of an organ, especially the heart.

For teachers: the sudden cessation of the functional activity of an organ.

- He was rushed to the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at home.
- The patient went into respiratory arrest shortly after the surgery, requiring the medical team to intervene with emergency ventilation.

Usage: Commonly occurs in the compound 'cardiac arrest'.

## Examples

- The police made an arrest late last night.
- The suspect was taken into custody following his arrest for shoplifting at the local mall.
- The sudden cardiac arrest required immediate intervention from the paramedics to restore a normal heart rhythm before the patient reached the hospital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.