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law enforcement officer

American

[law en-fawrs-muhnt aw-fuh-ser, of-uh-ser] / ˈlɔ ɛnˌfɔrs mənt ˌɔ fə sər, ˌɒf ə sər /

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of law enforcement officer

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi - a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration - from her post as America's top law enforcement officer.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Coberg acted as an investigator and told the victim he was an active-duty law enforcement officer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

I think they’re waiting for something that they can pitch plausibly as a completely unprovoked act of violence, or interference by a local or state law enforcement officer.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

In either case, constitutional standards for use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer will be the measure of his actions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

The tall man was the Texas Attorney General, the chief law enforcement officer for the state.

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023