constable

[ kon-stuh-buhl or, especially British, kuhn- ]

/ ˈkɒn stə bəl or, especially British, ˈkʌn- /

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See synonyms for constable on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of constable

1200–50; Middle English conestable<Anglo-French, Old French <Late Latin comes stabulīcount² of the stable¹

OTHER WORDS FROM constable

con·sta·ble·ship, nounun·der·con·sta·ble, noun

Words nearby constable

conspirator, conspiratorial, conspire, con spirito, const., constable, constable glass, Constable, John, constabulary, Constance, constancy

Other definitions for constable (2 of 2)

Constable

[ kuhn-stuh-buhl, kon- ]

/ ˈkʌn stə bəl, ˈkɒn- /

noun

John, 1776–1837, English painter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use constable in a sentence

So you either come with a degree as a constable, or if you join the police now, you get a degree through that service, where you have to demonstrate a certain amount of competencies, both practically and theoretically.
What Are the Police for, Anyway? (Ep. 476)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 23, 2021|Freakonomics
Warehouse workers closed their doors to constables who sought to remove tenants’ furniture after evictions, and plumbers restored tenants’ water when landlords shut it off.
The Supreme Court ended the eviction ban but not the fight against evictions|Maia Silber|September 9, 2021|Washington Post
Here, a police constable can declare a person is a suspected foreigner based on tips from their neighbors.
India’s Anti-Immigrant Crackdown Has Torn Apart Families and Locked Up Hundreds. 1.9 Million People Fear They Could Be Next|Neha Thirani Bagri/Dalgaon, India|September 6, 2021|Time
The next day, Grendell suspended Page’s custody and sent his constable to the hospital to retrieve the child and hand him off to his father.
The Family Court Judge Who Threatened a Mother With Contempt of Court for Getting Her Child a COVID-19 Test|by Marshall Allen, ProPublica, and Rachel Dissell for ProPublica|December 18, 2020|ProPublica

Hannah Adams, an attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, said her organization has hundreds of clients, including Williams, who are “going to be subject to an immediate removal by the constable” when the moratorium expires.
The coronavirus took her mother. Now this woman, like millions of others, fears she’ll be evicted.|Joe Davidson|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
Speaking to reporters in the United Kingdom, assistant chief constable Chris Shead said they had no regrets.
Desperate Parents Arrested After Fleeing Britain For Other Treatment Options for Son in Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Victoria police spokesman Constable Mike Russell said the “demographic of that camp” has changed over the past couple of weeks.
Occupy Turns Sinister|K.J. Kaila|November 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The florid brushwork of a Constable gets hypertrophied in Freud, into a kind of gross exaggeration of what unleashed paint can do.
Lucian Freud, the Conservative Radical|Blake Gopnik|July 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Stephen White, a former chief constable in Northern Ireland turned EU diplomat in Brussels and Iraq praised the report.
Defusing the Terrorists' Prison Bomb|John Avlon|November 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In the morning, Ramesh came back, was told by a constable about Xerox, and said, "Shit, it wasn't a dream, then."
An Excerpt from Between the Assassinations|Aravind Adiga|June 10, 2009|DAILY BEAST
“Oh, perhaps you mean Tower Street” said the constable, with a patronising smile.
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
The constable knew nothing of maiden ladies with a baby, but he directed him to Hope Cottage.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The disk of light disappeared, and the alert constable could be heard moving along the corridor to inspect the other offices.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
The constable stared at the cadet for a moment and then his jaw dropped and likewise the club in his hand.
The Mystery at Putnam Hall|Arthur M. Winfield
The constable nodded profoundly, and said, that if that wasnt law, he should be glad to know what was.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for constable (1 of 2)

constable

/ (ˈkʌnstəbəl, ˌkɒn-) /

noun

(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

Derived forms of constable

constableship, noun

Word Origin for constable

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

British Dictionary definitions for constable (2 of 2)

Constable

/ (ˈkʌnstəbəl) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

constable

Origin of constable

OTHER WORDS FROM constable

Words nearby constable

Other definitions for constable (2 of 2)

Words related to constable

How to use constable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for constable (1 of 2)

Derived forms of constable

Word Origin for constable

British Dictionary definitions for constable (2 of 2)