ENGLISH
REFERENCE

arrested

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ɝˈɛstɪd// UK //ɐɹˈɛstɪd// ar·rest·ed

v. to be taken away by the police because they think you committed a crime. When this happens, you are usually taken to a police station.

v. to seize someone by legal authority and take them into custody. Transitive; frequently used in the passive voice when the focus is on the suspect rather than the police.


SIMPLE

The police arrested the man for stealing a car.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long investigation, the suspect was arrested at his home early on Tuesday morning.

COMPLEX

The authorities arrested the protesters not for their political views, but for obstructing the main thoroughfare and preventing emergency vehicles from reaching the hospital.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. In passive constructions, the agent (the police) is often omitted.

Pitfall

The police arrested to himThe police arrested himArrest is a transitive verb and takes a direct object without a preposition.

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