he got arrested

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence 'He got arrested' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe that someone was taken into custody or detained by law enforcement. For example, "John was out all night and when he finally returned, his family found out that he got arrested."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

52 human-written examples

He got arrested".

Independent

Then he got arrested.

The New Yorker

That's when he got arrested.

The Guardian

He got arrested for civil disobedience.

The Guardian

"But when he got arrested, that really upset the kids".

The New York Times

That's about the ninth time he got arrested lately.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

Sometimes he gets arrested.

The New Yorker

He gets arrested, but it's a blessing in disguise.

The New York Times - Books

So he gets arrested once in a while on her account.

The New Yorker

He gets high, he said, and when he gets high, he gets arrested.

The New York Times

Mostly, though, he gets arrested in raids on puny horse rooms around Third Avenue.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "he got arrested" to describe a past event where someone was taken into police custody. This phrase is suitable for general contexts but might be too informal for legal or highly professional settings.

Common error

Be specific about the context. Saying just "he got arrested" may leave the listener wondering why or where. Add clarifying details to provide a clearer picture of the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he got arrested" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the subject, "he", was the recipient of the action (arrest). It describes a state resulting from an action performed by an external agent (the police or other authority). As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "he got arrested" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe someone being taken into custody by law enforcement. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely used and understood in English. While generally neutral in tone, it's important to provide context to avoid ambiguity and to be mindful of the setting, opting for more formal alternatives like "he was apprehended" in legal or highly professional environments. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media, but also has representation in academia and other source categories.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he was apprehended

Replaces "got arrested" with a more formal term, "apprehended".

he was taken into custody

Substitutes "got arrested" with a more detailed description of the event.

he was detained by the police

Replaces "got arrested" by specifying "detained by the police".

he faced arrest

Changes the structure to focus on the action of facing arrest.

he found himself arrested

Emphasizes the unexpected nature of the arrest.

arrested

Condenses the phrase to a single word while assuming the subject is implied from context.

the authorities arrested him

Reorders the sentence to emphasize the authorities' action.

he was busted

Uses a more informal and colloquial term, "busted".

he ended up in jail

Focuses on the consequence of the arrest, which is being in jail.

police arrested him

Specifies the arresting entity with a generic term, "police".

FAQs

What does "he got arrested" mean?

The phrase "he got arrested" means that someone was taken into custody by law enforcement, usually because they were suspected of committing a crime.

What can I say instead of "he got arrested"?

You can use alternatives like "he was apprehended", "he was taken into custody", or "he was detained" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "he was arrested" instead of "he got arrested"?

Yes, "he was arrested" is a grammatically correct alternative to "he got arrested". Both phrases have the same meaning, although "he was arrested" might be perceived as slightly more formal.

Which is more formal, "he got arrested" or "he was arrested"?

"He was arrested" is generally considered more formal than "he got arrested". The phrase "he got arrested" is more conversational and suitable for informal contexts.