aanhoudt

Aanhoudt is the third-person singular present tense of the Dutch verb aanhouden, most commonly used in the sense of detaining or arresting someone by law enforcement. In everyday use, a police officer “houdt iemand aan” or “aangehouden” refers to taking a person into custody for questioning and possible prosecution. The related noun is aanhouding, which denotes the act of arrest or detention.

Two related meanings can be distinguished. The primary one in criminal procedure is arrest or detention: a suspect may be stopped, searched, and held for investigation. After an aanhouding, the person may be released, questioned further, or transferred to authorities for formal processing. The term can also appear in legal contexts describing temporary restraint, such as custody during an investigation or judicial proceedings. Aanhoudt can therefore be part of a larger sequence, including interrogation, charging decisions, and potential pretrial custody (for example, in verzekeringstelling or voorlopige hechtenis, depending on the jurisdiction).

Etymologically, aanhouden comes from the prefix aan- together with houden, literally “to hold on to,” and its compound form is used primarily in law enforcement to denote taking a person into custody. In Dutch law, this act and its surrounding procedures are governed by criminal procedure rules; similar concepts exist in other jurisdictions with different terms and safeguards.

See also: aanhouding, aangehouden, aanhoudingbevel, voorlopige hechtenis.