house arrest

Definition

Confinement of a person to his or her residence, sometimes with a limited travel allowance, ordered by a judge or other authority as a more lenient alternative to imprisonment.

Example Sentences

• "Convicted in Federal District Court in Brooklyn of insurance fraud, a 35-year-old legal secretary could have received up to 50 years in prison and a $56,000 fine. The judge sentenced her instead to house arrest for two years."