arrestment

arrestment

A police officer makes an arrestment of a suspect on a city street.

Definition

  1. Noun (Law):

    • The act of seizing or taking into custody: "arrestment" refers to the legal process of stopping or apprehending a person, often by lawful authority, or the seizure of property or assets to secure a debt or claim.
    • A legal restraint or stoppage: In a broader legal context, it can denote the act of halting or detaining something, such as the arrestment of a ship or goods.

  2. Noun (General):

    • The state of being arrested: The condition of being taken into custody or restrained.
    • A stoppage or obstruction: A less common meaning, referring to the act of bringing something to a halt.
Usage Examples

  • Law:

    • The arrestment of the suspect was carried out without incident. (The lawful seizure of the suspect.)
    • The court ordered the arrestment of the debtor's assets to satisfy the judgment. (The seizure of property as a legal remedy.)

  • General:

    • The arrestment of the ship in port was due to unpaid docking fees. (The detention of a vessel.)
    • The arrestment of the flow of blood was necessary to perform surgery. (The stoppage of a bodily process, though this usage is rare.)
Advanced Usage

  • "Arrestment of judgment": A legal term meaning the postponement or suspension of a court's final decision, often due to a procedural error.

    • The defense filed a motion for arrestment of judgment pending a review of the evidence. (A request to delay the verdict.)

  • "Arrestment of the king's peace": An archaic legal phrase referring to a breach of public order or disturbance that requires intervention.

    • The riot constituted an arrestment of the king's peace, leading to immediate action. (A disruption of civil peace.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Arrest (verb/noun): The more common root word; to seize or take into custody, or the act of doing so.

    • The police will arrest anyone caught stealing. (To take into custody.)

  • Arrester (noun): A person or device that stops or restrains.

    • The lightning arrester protected the building from electrical surges. (A device that halts electrical discharge.)

  • Arresting (adj): Striking or attracting attention; causing a halt.

    • The painting had an arresting beauty. (Very noticeable or captivating.)
Synonyms
  • Seizure: The act of taking possession by legal authority.
  • Detention: The act of holding someone in custody.
  • Apprehension: The act of capturing or understanding (in legal context, capturing a suspect).
  • Confiscation: The seizure of property by authority.
Phrasal Verbs
    • Arrest for: to take into custody for a specific reason.
      • They arrested him for theft. (They took him into custody because of theft.)
Related Idioms
    • Arrest someone's attention: to capture or hold someone's focus.
      • The loud noise arrested everyone's attention. (The noise made people stop and look.)