citizen's arrest

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cit′izen's arrest′, [Law.]

1. Lawmaking an arrest made by a private citizen whose authority derives from the fact of citizenship.

• 1950–55

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

citizen's arrest noun

1. an arrest carried out by an ordinary member of the public rather than an officer of the law