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constable

1 American  
[kon-stuh-buhl, kuhn-] / ˈkɒn stə bəl, ˈkʌn- /

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 American  
[kuhn-stuh-buhl, kon-] / ˈkʌn stə bəl, ˈkɒn- /

noun

  1. John, 1776–1837, English painter.

constable 1 British  
/ 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

"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 2 British  
/ ˈkʌnstəbəl /

noun

  1. 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

Other Word Forms

  • constableship noun
  • underconstable noun

Etymology

Origin of constable

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sometimes a junior constable walked into the frame and saluted her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

On Wednesday, the chief constable appeared before Westminster's Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into policing and security issues.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

It was only after Sanjoy contacted the chief constable that the families were told what had been said.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The former special constable was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday to a total of 32 years, made up of 24 years' imprisonment and a further eight years on extended licence.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

“No sense rushing about, son. The constable will be wanting to talk to you now that you’re up.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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.