an officer of the peace, having police and minor judicial functions, usually in a small town, rural district, etc.
Chiefly British. a police officer.
an officer of high rank in medieval monarchies, usually the commander of all armed forces, especially in the absence of the ruler.
the keeper or governor of a royal fortress or castle.
(in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc) a police officer of the lowest rank
any of various officers of the peace, esp one who arrests offenders, serves writs, etc
the keeper or governor of a royal castle or fortress
(in medieval Europe) the chief military officer and functionary of a royal household, esp in France and England
an officer of a hundred in medieval England, originally responsible for raising the military levy but later assigned other administrative duties
1200–50; Middle English conestable < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin comes stabulī count 2 of the stable 1
A small-town police officer is sometimes known as a constable. If you live in an extremely tiny town, the constable may show up at your door when you dial 9-1-1 for help with a raccoon stuck in your chimney. In Britain and Canada, a constable is the lowest-ranking officer in a police force. It's less common in the U.S., and the word's exact meaning varies a bit from state to state. In some places, a constable is only authorized to serve subpoenas to people who are required to testify in court. Other constables have full law enforcement powers. The Latin root of constable is comes stabuli, "attendant to the stables."
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The report by the Police Leadership Commission, published on Monday, found the system for identifying and developing leaders was too weak, with chief constable roles in England and Wales often attracting a single suitable candidate.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
"The behaviour of England fans - and of course the Scots - has been excellent throughout the group stages of the World Cup," chief constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU, said.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
The former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Kate Meynell, admitted in her evidence that Calocane should have been arrested before he killed Barnaby, Grace and Ian.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
But Sue Sim, former chief constable of Northumbria Police, called for the 2022 document to be withdrawn and rewritten.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
He once decreed that no man taller than five feet seven could be a detective in Paris—and that no man shorter than five feet nine could be a constable, a street officer.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
