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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Police Investigation & Arrest

Arrest

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/əˈrest/verbCore term

In criminal law & justice, arrest means: To take a person into police control using legal powers, usually because they are suspected of a crime; the noun 'arrest' names this act.

In Turkish: yakalamak, gözaltına almak, yakalama, gözaltı

How it is used

Police 'arrest someone for' an offence, and the person is 'under arrest'. Common patterns: 'arrest someone on suspicion of fraud', 'make an arrest', 'resist arrest'. Being arrested does not mean the person is guilty or has been charged.

Example sentences

  1. A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

  2. You are under arrest. You do not have to say anything.

  3. The police made three arrests after the match.

Common collocations

  • arrest someone for
  • under arrest
  • arrested on suspicion of
  • make an arrest
  • resist arrest
  • suspectA person whom the police believe may have committed a crime but who has not yet been charged or found guilty.
  • custodyThe state of being held by the police or kept in prison, for example after an arrest or while waiting for trial.
  • detainTo keep someone officially in a place, such as a police station or prison, and not let them leave.
  • warrantAn official document signed by a judge that allows the police to do something, such as arrest a person or search a property.
  • pretrial detentionKeeping a person accused of a crime in prison before and during their trial, when a court decides that releasing them would be too risky.

More terms: Police Investigation & Arrest

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.