arrested
Someone who has been taken by the police or a process that has been stopped.
Explanation at your level:
If you are arrested, the police take you to the station. This happens if you do something bad. It is a serious word.
You use arrested when the police catch a person. You can say: 'The man was arrested yesterday.' It means the police stopped him.
Arrested is used for legal situations. When someone breaks the law, the police say they are arrested. We also use it to say something stopped, like 'The disease was arrested by the doctor.'
Beyond the legal context, arrested implies a sudden halt. In formal English, you might see 'arrested development,' which means someone is not acting their age. It is a very specific, formal way to say 'stopped.'
In advanced contexts, arrested functions as a past participle to describe a state of being. It carries a nuance of finality. Whether referring to a criminal or a biological process, it suggests an external force has intervened to impose a stop.
The etymology of arrested reveals a link to 'rest,' yet in modern usage, it implies a forceful cessation. Literary usage often employs it to describe a moment of frozen time, where something is 'arrested' in its tracks. It is a powerful, precise term that denotes the intersection of law and physical stagnation.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Used for legal detention by police.
- Used for stopping a process or growth.
- Pronounced uh-REST-id.
- Commonly used in formal and legal contexts.
The word arrested is a fascinating term because it carries two distinct meanings. In the legal sense, it describes someone who has been taken into custody by the police. It implies that the person is now under the control of the law while an investigation takes place.
However, you will also hear this word used in scientific or literary contexts to mean stopped or hindered. For example, if a disease is arrested, it means the progression of the illness has been successfully halted by medicine. It is all about the concept of a sudden pause or a forced stop.
The word comes from the Old French arester, which means to stop or stay. This itself traces back to the Latin ad- (to) and restare (to remain or stop behind). It is closely related to the word rest, which is a fun connection to remember!
Historically, the term was used to describe the act of stopping someone from moving. By the 14th century, it became specifically associated with legal detention. Over time, the figurative meaning of stopping a process (like arrested development) emerged as a way to describe things that simply stopped growing or evolving.
In daily life, arrested is most frequently used in news or legal discussions. You will often hear phrases like was arrested for theft or arrested on suspicion of. These are formal, neutral ways to report events.
In contrast, using the word to describe a process is more common in academic or formal writing. You might read about arrested growth in a biology textbook or an arrested motion in a physics paper. It is a precise word that signals a clear, definitive stop to something that was previously in motion.
1. Arrested development: A state where someone fails to mature or grow properly. Example: 'He behaved with a sense of arrested development.' 2. Arrest one's attention: To suddenly capture someone's focus. Example: 'The bright colors arrested my attention.' 3. Under arrest: Being held in legal custody. Example: 'The suspect was placed under arrest.' 4. Citizen's arrest: An arrest made by a person who is not a police officer. Example: 'He attempted a citizen's arrest.' 5. Arrest the decline: To stop something from getting worse. Example: 'The new policy helped arrest the decline in sales.'
Arrested is the past participle and past tense of the verb arrest. It functions as an adjective when placed before a noun (e.g., an arrested suspect). The pronunciation is /əˈrestɪd/ in both UK and US English, ending in an 'id' sound.
It rhymes with words like tested, invested, contested, requested, and molested. The stress is always on the second syllable: a-REST-ed. Remember that the 'ed' ending is pronounced as a separate syllable because the word ends in a 't' sound.
Fun Fact
It shares a root with 'rest', meaning to stay in one place.
Pronunciation Guide
Uh-REST-id
Uh-REST-id
Common Errors
- Missing the 'id' sound
- Putting stress on the first syllable
- Dropping the double 'r' sound
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Common in news
Useful for formal reports
Easy to pronounce
Clear sounds
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Passive Voice
He was arrested.
Past Participle as Adjective
The arrested man.
Prepositions with Verbs
Arrested for.
Examples by Level
The police arrested the man.
Police caught man
Simple past
He was arrested.
He was caught
Passive voice
They arrested the thief.
Caught the thief
Active voice
I saw him arrested.
Saw him caught
Participle phrase
The police arrested them.
Police caught them
Object pronoun
She was arrested today.
She was caught today
Time marker
Were they arrested?
Were they caught?
Question form
The arrested man cried.
The caught man cried
Adjective use
The police arrested the suspect quickly.
He was arrested for speeding.
Many people were arrested last night.
The officer arrested the driver.
She was arrested at the airport.
They have been arrested before.
The arrested person stayed quiet.
Why was he arrested?
The spread of the virus was arrested by the new vaccine.
He was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
The development of the project was arrested by lack of funds.
The police arrested the protesters.
Her movement was arrested by a sudden noise.
They were arrested and taken to jail.
The decay of the wood was arrested with chemicals.
He faced charges after being arrested.
The film shows a character in a state of arrested development.
The police arrested the gang leader after a long chase.
The growth of the tumor was successfully arrested.
Her gaze was arrested by the beautiful painting.
The suspect was arrested without incident.
The company's expansion was arrested by the economic crisis.
The officer arrested the individual for trespassing.
The progress of the negotiations was arrested by a disagreement.
The artist's attention was arrested by the play of light on the water.
The legal system ensured the criminal was arrested promptly.
The rapid decline of the species was arrested by conservation efforts.
His career suffered from a sense of arrested development.
The motion was arrested by the sudden locking of the gears.
The authorities arrested the suspect based on new evidence.
The decay of the historical site was arrested by restoration.
The flow of the river was arrested by the dam.
The sudden silence arrested the entire room.
His intellectual growth seemed arrested by his environment.
The decay of the ancient manuscript was arrested by climate control.
The suspect was arrested under the new emergency powers.
The development of the child was arrested by the trauma.
The police arrested the conspirators in a midnight raid.
The momentum of the protest was arrested by the heavy rain.
The internal process was arrested at the final stage.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"arrested development"
Failure to mature
His attitude shows arrested development.
neutral"arrest one's attention"
To grab focus
The view arrested my attention.
formal"under arrest"
In legal custody
You are under arrest.
formal"citizen's arrest"
Arrest by a civilian
He attempted a citizen's arrest.
formal"arrest the decline"
Stop getting worse
We must arrest the decline.
formal"arrest the motion"
Stop moving
The barrier arrested the motion.
formalEasily Confused
Similar sound
Rested means to sleep/relax; Arrested means stopped/caught.
He rested after being arrested.
Similar ending
Attested means to confirm truth.
He attested to the facts.
Similar rhyme
Invested means putting money into something.
He invested money.
Similar rhyme
Requested means asked for.
He requested help.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + was + arrested + for + noun
He was arrested for theft.
The + noun + arrested + the + noun
The wall arrested the movement.
Adjective + arrested + noun
The arrested suspect was calm.
Subject + has + been + arrested
He has been arrested.
Arrested + by + agent
Arrested by the police, he waited.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Arrested implies legal or process-based stopping.
Needs past participle form.
Different meanings.
Arrested is usually for people or abstract processes.
Double 'r'.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a jail cell where you have to 'rest'.
When Native Speakers Use It
Used in news reports about crime.
Cultural Insight
Often associated with police sirens.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use 'arrested' for past tense.
Say It Right
Don't skip the 'id' sound at the end.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't say 'arrested' for a simple stop sign.
Did You Know?
It shares a root with 'rest'.
Study Smart
Learn it with 'arrested development'.
Context Matters
Check if it's legal or biological.
Rhyme Time
Rhymes with 'tested'.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
A-REST-ed: You are forced to REST in a cell.
Visual Association
A person in handcuffs standing still.
Word Web
Challenge
Use 'arrested' in a sentence about a process today.
Word Origin
Old French / Latin
Original meaning: To stop or remain
Cultural Context
Legal context can be sensitive.
Used heavily in media and police procedurals.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Police/Law
- arrested on suspicion
- was arrested for
- placed under arrest
Biology/Science
- arrested growth
- arrested development
- process arrested
Journalism
- suspect arrested
- arrested in a raid
- police arrested
Literature/Art
- arrested attention
- arrested motion
- arrested moment
Conversation Starters
"Have you ever seen someone get arrested?"
"What do you think 'arrested development' means?"
"Why would a disease be described as 'arrested'?"
"Is 'citizen's arrest' a good idea?"
"How does the word 'arrested' change meaning in different contexts?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you saw police activity.
Explain the concept of 'arrested development' in your own words.
Describe a moment where your attention was 'arrested' by something.
Compare the meaning of 'arrested' in law vs. science.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it also means to stop a process.
Uh-REST-id.
It is the past participle/past tense of the verb 'arrest'.
Only if it stopped suddenly due to a force.
A term for failing to mature.
Yes, it is generally formal.
Yes, e.g., 'the arrested suspect'.
Mostly, but 'arrested' is more specific.
Test Yourself
The police ___ the thief.
Arrested fits the context of police.
What does arrested mean?
Arrested means stopped.
Can a disease be arrested?
Yes, it means the progression is stopped.
Word
Meaning
Matches word to meaning.
He was arrested for theft.
The ___ development of the child was noted.
Arrested development is a set phrase.
Which is a synonym for arrested in a process?
Halted is a synonym.
Arrested always implies police.
It can also refer to physical or biological processes.
Word
Meaning
Contextual meanings.
Her attention was arrested by the view.
Score: /10
Summary
Arrested means either being taken into custody by police or a process being suddenly stopped.
- Used for legal detention by police.
- Used for stopping a process or growth.
- Pronounced uh-REST-id.
- Commonly used in formal and legal contexts.
Memory Palace Trick
Imagine a jail cell where you have to 'rest'.
When Native Speakers Use It
Used in news reports about crime.
Cultural Insight
Often associated with police sirens.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use 'arrested' for past tense.
