law enforcement officer

[ law en-fawrs-muhnt aw-fuh-ser, of-uh-ser ]

noun

1. a government employee whose main duties involve preventing, detecting, or punishing violations of the law; police officers, state troopers, sheriffs, rangers, etc., when considered collectively. : LEO

Word History and Origins

Origin of law enforcement officer¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

We have our first black president in Barack Obama, who immediately chose Eric Holder to be our top law enforcement officer.

From The Daily Beast

His life seems adrenaline-charged, and he self-identifies both as a law-enforcement officer and a doctor.

From The Daily Beast