police

[ puh-lees ]

noun

1. Also called police force. an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.
2. (used with a plural verb) members of such a force:

   Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.

3. the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.
4. the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.
5. any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.
6. people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc.:

   the language police.

7. Military. (in the U.S. Army)
   1. the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.
   2. the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.

verb (used with object)

, po·liced, po·lic·ing.

1. to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.
2. Military. to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.)

police

/ pəˈliːs /

noun

1. 1. the police the organized civil force of a state, concerned with maintenance of law and order, the detection and prevention of crime, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a police inquiry

2. functioning as plural the members of such a force collectively
3. any organized body with a similar function

   security police

4. archaic.
   1. the regulation and control of a community, esp in regard to the enforcement of law, the prevention of crime, etc
   2. the department of government concerned with this

verb

1. to regulate, control, or keep in order by means of a police or similar force
2. to observe or record the activity or enforcement of

   a committee was set up to police the new agreement on picketing

3. to make or keep (a military camp, etc) clean and orderly

Pronunciation Note

Many English words exemplify the original stress rule of Old English and other early Germanic languages, according to which all parts of speech except unprefixed verbs were stressed on the first syllable, and prefixed verbs were stressed on the syllable immediately following the prefix. Although the scope of this rule has been greatly restricted by the incorporation into English of loanwords that exhibit other stress patterns, the rule has always remained operative to some degree, and many loanwords have been conformed to it throughout the history of English. For South Midland and Midland U.S. speakers in particular, shifting the stress in borrowed nouns from a noninitial syllable to the first syllable is still an active process, yielding [poh, -lees] for police and [dee, -troit] for Detroit, as well as cement, cigar, guitar, insurance, umbrella, and idea said as [see, -ment], [see, -gahr], [git, -ahr], [in, -sh, oo, r-, uh, ns], [uhm, -brel-, uh], and [ahy, -dee, uh].

Other Words From

• o·ver·po·lice verb (used with object) overpoliced overpolicing
• pre·po·lice adjective
• un·po·liced adjective
• well-po·liced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of police¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French: “government, civil administration, police,” from Late Latin polītia “citizenship, government,” from Latin polītīa; polity

Word History and Origins

Origin of police¹

C16: via French from Latin polītīa administration, government; see polity

Example Sentences

Moreno said the major told him he summoned him to the police station “to alert me that I can face four charges for his publications.”

From Washington Blade

Injunctions ban individuals from being around anyone else the police deem gang members even if neither has a criminal record.

From Voice of San Diego

There’s no current timeline on when the next chief of police will be hired, Lorson said.

From Voice of San Diego

In recent weeks, though, Nucci has been interviewing people who’ve received a ticket and they all claim they were cited after saying something an officer found personally offensive — usually about the police and sometimes quietly to themselves.

From Voice of San Diego

In both cases, police appear to have stretched the law far beyond its intended use.

From Voice of San Diego

Police officials told the AP that they came out with guns blazing.

From The Daily Beast

Yves Albarello, MP of Seine-et-Marne, said the gunmen told police they were ready to “die as martyrs.”

From The Daily Beast

Smith attended both funerals as a cop and as the husband of Police Officer Moira Smith, who died on 9/11.

From The Daily Beast

But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.

From The Daily Beast

“The Wizard of Watts is not just about police brutality,” he says.

From The Daily Beast

If Mac had been alone he would have made the post by sundown, for the Mounted Police rode picked horses, the best money could buy.

From Project Gutenberg

It happened that I didn't stay around those police posts long enough to get familiar with the technical terms for everything.

From Project Gutenberg

Aristide picked it up and began to dance and shake his fist at the invisible police.

From Project Gutenberg

“To say that you would have more sense than the police, would be a poor compliment,” said the old lady.

From Project Gutenberg

A less imaginative man than Aristide would have immediately acquainted the police with his discovery.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• force
• law enforcement
• squad
• troops