police

American  

[puh-lees] / pəˈlis /

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.

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verb (used with object)

policed, policing

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 British  

/ pəˈliːs /

noun

1. 1. 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

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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

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 for police and for Detroit, as well as cement, cigar, guitar, insurance, umbrella, and idea said as , , , , , and .

Other Word Forms

• overpolice verb (used with object)
• prepolice adjective
• unpoliced adjective
• well-policed adjective

Etymology

Origin of police

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

Example Sentences

"In high-risk and moderately risky centres, police will carry out patrol duty with body-worn cameras for the first time."

From Barron's

Mastrosa, 34, issued an advance release of the novel - which the BBC has chosen not to name - to 21 readers in March last year before a complaint about its content was made to police.

From BBC

Airport authorities and police seized six pieces of rhinoceros horn and around 12 kilograms of unidentified meat used to conceal them inside a polystyrene icebox.

From Barron's

"We advised her to inform the French police and banned him from the festival."

From BBC

Wiener said he and colleagues had crafted the No Secret Police Act in consultation with constitutional law experts, but had “removed state police from the bill” based on conversations with Newsom’s office.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• force
• law enforcement
• squad
• troops