arrestable

adjective

ar·​rest·​able ə-ˈre-stə-bəl also a- 

of a criminal offense

: identified by statute as an offense for which arrest is authorized

broadly : of a sufficiently serious nature or committed in such circumstances that arrest is authorized

Berzon noted that under Washington law, the officers had no authority to take Brooks into custody: Failure to sign a traffic infraction is not an arrestable offense, and it's not illegal to resist an unlawful arrest.

—Mike Carter, Seattle Times, 2 Oct. 2010

Word History

Etymology

arrest entry 1 + -able

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

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