police officer
Americannoun
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any policeman or policewoman; patrolman or patrolwoman.
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a person having officer rank on a police force.
noun
Etymology
Origin of police officer
First recorded in 1790–1800
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’re educating the public on what these terms are, what they mean, and what to look for,” said Los Angeles police officer Brandon Pon of the West Traffic Division.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
"I have come to meet Jesus Christ through the words of the pope," 30-year-old police officer Marta Perez told AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
A Euromillions winner who saved the life of a police officer just days before scooping the £1m jackpot has died in a suspected hit-and-run.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
A Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge dismissed a murder indictment Friday against a former Los Angeles police officer in the 2015 killing of an unarmed homeless man.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
I look back again, and the police officer is a blue dot against a blur of cars.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.