constable

¹

[kon-stuh-buhl, kuhn-]

noun

1. an officer of the peace, having police and minor judicial functions, usually in a small town, rural district, etc.

2. Chiefly British.,  a police officer.

3. an officer of high rank in medieval monarchies, usually the commander of all armed forces, especially in the absence of the ruler.

4. the keeper or governor of a royal fortress or castle.

Constable

²

[kuhn-stuh-buhl, kon-]

noun

1. John, 1776–1837, English painter.

constable

¹

/ ˌkɒn-, ˈkʌnstəbəl /

noun

1. (in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc) a police officer of the lowest rank

2. any of various officers of the peace, esp one who arrests offenders, serves writs, etc

3. the keeper or governor of a royal castle or fortress

4. (in medieval Europe) the chief military officer and functionary of a royal household, esp in France and England

5. an officer of a hundred in medieval England, originally responsible for raising the military levy but later assigned other administrative duties

Constable

²

/ ˈkʌnstəbəl /

noun

1. John. 1776–1837, English landscape painter, noted particularly for his skill in rendering atmospheric effects of changing light

Other Word Forms

• constableship noun
• underconstable noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of constable¹

1200–50; Middle English conestable < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin comes stabulī count ² of the stable ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of constable¹

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin comes stabulī officer in charge of the stable, from Latin comes comrade + stabulum dwelling, stable; see also _count ²

Example Sentences

Wendy and Ken, who live near Canterbury, say the scam started with a phone call from a so-called detective constable, claiming someone had been arrested for trying to use their bank card in London.

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He went on to train as a police officer and joined the local team in Swansea as a police constable in September 2023.

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“Even better, I shall have them arrested for disturbing the peace. They are a disturbance to the peace of my home. Miss Lumley, you must ring for a constable, quickly!”

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"I hope that our case will highlight failings within the constabulary and the chief constable will ensure that this never happens again."

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Appointing a chief constable and producing a policing plan are among their main responsibilities.

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Related Words

• detective 
• patrolman 
• policeman 
• policewoman