Arrested meaning in English

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Definition

an arrest: a detention, a capture (by the police) noun
There were several arrests during the demonstration. The police took people away for questioning.
to be under arrest: to be detained by the police, to be taken into custody (at a police station) idiom
They're under arrest until further notice. They won't be able to leave the police station.
to arrest somebody: to detain, to capture, to take a person for questioning by the police verb
The police arrested the suspect outside his house. Now they have taken him to the police station to question him.

Examples

  • "Horatio : General, I mean Rainbow Child, am I still under arrest?"
  • "Three young men were arrested in their apartment yesterday afternoon, following a police investigation of the robbery of a Greenback & Trust bank in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco."
  • "You are under arrest for detonating a nuclear bomb in the Pacific Ocean."
  • "It turned out she had a twin sister who used to act in... adult films. The director of one of her films was a friend of a drug dealer who got arrested and put in prison."
  • "Warbuckle was arrested yesterday in his hometown of Amarillo, Texas on suspicion of illegally hunting bears on the property surrounding his 50-acre ranch and estate."
  • "Police : Mr. Warbuckle, you're under arrest for driving under the influence."
  • "Barry Trotter, the A-list celebrity wizard, was arrested for drunk driving or in this case drunk flying, this morning in central London."
  • "The backlash from Warbuckle's arrest could have financial implications not only for Warbuckle's Department Stores, but for his business partners as well."
  • "Bruno : Herbert, I haven't heard from you since you got arrested at that party in Vegas."
  • "Simpson was arrested by police driving at 180 miles an hour with a small horse in the passenger seat."
  • "Trotter, best known for his incredible feats of magic, adorable little smile and the bizarre lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, was arrested after police found the boy circling drunkenly around Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square."
  • "Hannah : I'm not under arrest, am I?"
  • "Oléré was later arrested for public nudity."
Exercise 1
Choose the TRUE statements from the list below.

There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
Choose the TRUE statements from the list below.

There may be more than one correct answer! Choose all that apply.
This statement is false. The meter man tells Kevin that his car will be taken to the impound lot, however there is now indication that Kevin will go to prison, or "jail".
This statement is false. Kevin's car is being towed, he is not being arrested. To be arrested is to be stopped by the police and taken to jail or a police station for a criminal offense. Kevin is not being arrested, his car is being removed for parking illegally.
This is a true statement. The meter man asks Kevin for his license and registration, the proof that he is legally permitted to drive and that he is the owner of the car. A driver's license is proof of the legal right to drive, and registration is the proof of ownership of a vehicle.
This is a true statement. The "meter man" in this dialogue tells Kevin that his car is being "towed". "To tow a car" is to physically remove it (using a truck usually). A car generally is towed because it isn't working properly, or if it has been parked illegally, as is the case with Kevin's car. If something is "taken away", it is being "removed".
Exercise 2
Select the statements below that use the term "under arrest" correctly.

There may be more than one correct answer!
Select the statements below that use the term "under arrest" correctly.

There may be more than one correct answer!
This is a correct usage. If you didn't select this statement, you're under arrest, too. Put your hands in the air, and hold 'em high!
This is a correct usage. Often, especially in newspapers and other written documents, the verb "to arrest" is exchanged for "to place under arrest". Example: "The police would like to place the mayor under arrest, but they can't. He's just too powerful".
This is an incorrect usage. Because "under arrest" is a special construction, it cannot be used as a normal active verb taking a direct object. A correct sentence would be: "If the police come to put me under arrest" (the active verb "put" takes "me" as a direct object, and "under arrest" describes where they put me).
This is an incorrect usage. "I got under arrested" would literally suggest that I was insufficiently arrested. A correct sentence would be: "I got put/placed under arrest last night" or simply "I was arrested last night."
This is incorrect. The idiom "under arrest" is to be in a position of having been arrested. One can be "put" or "placed" under arrest, but not be "put in a state of" under arrest.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with terms used in the dialogue! You may need to conjugate any verbs!

The first expression refers to what happens when the police stop you or put you in prison:
Mr Smith is on suspicion of murder. (TWO WORDS)

Now find the term which means "to oversee", "to observe", or "to direct":
Julie's boss all her projects, and she finds this very annoying!

Last but not least, this term shares a similar meaning with "effectively" or "successfully, without waste":
Your computer will work more now that you've removed the virus.
Fill in the blanks with terms used in the dialogue! You may need to conjugate any verbs!

The first expression refers to what happens when the police stop you or put you in prison:
Mr Smith is under arrest 1 on suspicion of murder. (TWO WORDS)

Now find the term which means "to oversee", "to observe", or "to direct":
Julie's boss supervises 2 all her projects, and she finds this very annoying!

Last but not least, this term shares a similar meaning with "effectively" or "successfully, without waste":
Your computer will work more efficiently 3 now that you've removed the virus.
1 under arrest: "Under arrest" is the right answer. If someone is "under arrest", the police has stopped them because they have (allegedly) been doing something illegal. In the dialogue, Hannah checks with Luna that she is not "under arrest" despite Luna's questioning! Another example: "I am placing you under arrest for the theft of the Mona Lisa."
2 supervises: "Supervises" is the term we were looking for here. To "supervise (someone)" is to watch them to make sure that everything is going well, and correct them if they make mistakes. This is what Hannah does in the Retail section of the Sales Department at Delavigne. Another example: "My new job involves supervising a team of 893 workers".
3 efficiently: "Efficiently" is the right answer. To do something "efficiently" is to do it "well", "effectively", and "without unnecessary effort". Note also the related noun "efficiency" and the adjective "efficient". Here's another example: "The team is operating more efficiently now that it has a new captain".
Exercise 4
According to the news report, what was Trotter doing in Trafalgar Square?
According to the news report, what was Trotter doing in Trafalgar Square?
This is correct. At the beginning of the broadcast, Moira says that Trotter was caught "drunk flying" around Nelson's Column. In this case "drunk flying" means "flying under the influence of alcohol", or "flying while drunk".
This is incorrect. There is no mention of Trotter talking to a policeman, only that he was arrested by a policeman. To be "arrested" is to be stopped and taken to the police station for committing an offence against the law.
According to the newscast, Trotter was the one who was arrested. The verb "to arrest" is used here in the passive voice. We use the passive voice when the subject receives the action of the verb. In this case, Trotter himself was arrested, which means that he was taken by the police.
This is incorrect. Moira says that Trotter was "drunk flying" and "circling" around Nelson's Column. The verb "to cycle" is used to indicate riding or traveling by bicycle. For example: "a cyclist goes cycling because he loves to cycle on his bicycle".

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