arrestare

Arrarestare is an Italian verb meaning primarily to detain someone by lawful authority, i.e., to arrest a person. It can also mean to stop, halt, or interrupt a movement, progress, or process. In everyday language it is used for actions carried out by police or other authorities, but it can also apply to stopping a phenomenon or development.

Etymology and meaning. Arrestare derives from Latin and medieval Latin forms related to stopping or slowing. The core sense in Italian is to cause someone to be taken into custody or to bring a process to a halt. The noun arresto is commonly used for the act of detaining or for the period of confinement associated with arrest.

Conjugation and forms. Arrestare is a regular first-conjugation verb. Present indicative: io arresto, tu arresti, lui/lei arresta, noi arrestiamo, voi arrestate, loro arrestano. Imperfect: arrestavo, arrestavi, arrestava, arrestavamo, arrestavate, arrestavano. Passato prossimo: ho arrestato, hai arrestato, ha arrestato, abbiamo arrestato, avete arrestato, hanno arrestato. Gerund: arrestando. Past participle: arrestato. Subjunctive, conditional, and future forms follow standard -are verb patterns. Passive voice is formed with essere: è stato arrestato, sono stati arrestati, etc.

Usage notes. In legal contexts, arrestare takes a direct object referring to a person or persons detained: “La polizia ha arrestato due sospetti.” In non‑legal or metaphorical usage, arrestare can mean to halt or curb a movement or trend: “la crescita è stata arrestata dal contesto economico.” The noun arresto, and the adjective arrestato, are common derivatives.

See also. Arresto, arrestato, arresto in custodia, detenzione.