arresto
nounCEFR B2
What does “arresto” mean in English?
arrest, detention — the act of apprehending someone by legal authority
arrest, detention — the act of apprehending someone by legal authority (arresto domiciliario = house arrest; proceder al arresto; arresto preventivo)
Example sentences
El juez ordenó el arresto domiciliario del acusado en espera del juicio oral, con obligación de comparecer mensualmente.
The judge ordered the defendant's house arrest pending the oral trial, with a monthly reporting obligation.
El arresto del activista fue condenado por organizaciones de derechos humanos de todo el mundo.
The activist's arrest was condemned by human rights organisations worldwide.
How to use it
El arresto (noun, masculine) means 'arrest, detention' — the act of apprehending someone by legal authority. Key collocations: arresto domiciliario (house arrest); proceder al arresto; ordenar el arresto; arresto preventivo. The verb is arrestar. Closely related: detención (detention — slightly broader, also covers non-criminal contexts). Don't confuse with encarcelamiento (imprisonment — implying a longer custodial sentence).
Common mistake
Arresto domiciliario (house arrest) is the single most tested collocation at B2 — learn it as a unit. Don't confuse arrestar (apprehend) with encarcelar (imprison). In everyday spoken Spanish, detener is often used where standard B2 writing uses arrestar.