citizen's arrest

noun

An arrest made by a person who is not acting as a sworn law enforcement official to detain a suspected criminal until the police can be summoned.

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Meanings

nouncitizen's arrest (plural citizen's arrests or citizens' arrests)

plural citizen's arrests · plural citizens' arrests

  1. countablelawAn arrest made by a person who is not acting as a sworn law enforcement official to detain a suspected criminal until the police can be summoned.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 公民逮捕
  • 公民逮捕 (gōngmín dàibǔ)an arrest made under this right
Finnish kiinniottaminen
  • kiinniottaminenan arrest made under this right
German Jedermann-Festnahme
  • Jedermann-Festnahmean arrest made under this right
Cite this entry
APA

citizen's arrest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citizen's%20arrest

MLA

“citizen's arrest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citizen's%20arrest. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “citizen's arrest,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/citizen's%20arrest.

Source: citizen's arrest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.