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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A detective constable told Newry Crown Court that Sir Jeffrey was interviewed for a total of four-and-a-half hours.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The chief constable of Hampshire police has apologised to the family of Henry Nowak for the student being handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Robert France, temporary deputy chief constable for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary, apologised for arresting Nowak in the moments before he died.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Speaking in response to the BBC's investigation into motorbike crime, Onn says she will be requesting a meeting with the chief constable of Humberside Police.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
There were four callers, one a deacon from the church, the constable of the town, and Goodman Cruff and his wife.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
