What does arrestable mean?
"Arrestable" is a legal adjective describing someone or something that can lawfully be arrested. Applied to a person, it means the individual is liable to arrest — typically because a warrant has been issued or because they are suspected of an offence. Applied to an act, it means the act constitutes an offence serious enough to justify arrest. The word is most at home in legal statutes, court reporting, and police commentary, where precision about what conduct permits arrest matters. Its most famous appearance is in the British fixed phrase "arrestable offence," a category that shaped policing in England and Wales for decades until legislation in the mid-2000s allowed officers to arrest in connection with any offence. Though technical in flavour, "arrestable" remains useful shorthand in discussions of criminal justice, civil liberties, and the limits of police power.
adjectiveLiable to be arrested; constituting an offence for which a person may lawfully be arrested by the police.
- (of a person) liable to be arrested, especially under warrant or on suspicion of having committed an offence.
- (of an act or offence) serious enough to justify arrest; constituting grounds for lawful arrest.
"Failing to surrender your licence at the roadside is an arrestable offence in most jurisdictions."
"The suspect was considered arrestable once the warrant was issued."
"Under the old rules, theft was classed as an arrestable offence."
In England and Wales, the phrase "arrestable offence" was so central to policing that Parliament abolished it as a legal category in 2006 — yet the word lives on.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arrestable
"Arrestable" derives from the verb "arrest," which entered English from Old French "arester," itself from Late Latin "arrestare" — literally "to stop" — formed from Latin "ad-" (to) plus "restare" (to stand back, remain). The suffix "-able" turns the verb into an adjective meaning "capable of being arrested." The word belongs to the same Latin root family as "rest," "restraint," and "stay," all conveying the idea of holding or stopping. It developed as a term of art in English law, particularly in phrases defining which offences permitted arrest without warrant.
How arrestable is actually used
Chiefly used in legal and journalistic contexts. In British usage the fixed phrase "arrestable offence" was historically significant but was formally replaced by broader police powers under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (in force from 2006), which made all offences potentially arrestable. The word remains common in legal commentary and news reporting.
Easily confused with arrestable
"Irresistible" means too attractive or powerful to be resisted, while "arrestable" means liable to arrest under law; they share only a superficial sound resemblance.