constabulary
1 Americannoun
-
the body of constables of a district.
-
a body of officers of the peace organized on a military basis.
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of constabulary1
1350–1400; < Medieval Latin constabulāria, feminine of constabulārius constabulary 2; replacing Middle English constablerie < Old French < Medieval Latin as above
Origin of constabulary2
1815–25; < Medieval Latin constabulārius; see constable, -ary
Explanation
You can refer to a police force as a constabulary. If your mother and your grandfather were both police officers, you might want to follow the family tradition and join the constabulary as well. You're most likely to use this word if you live in the United Kingdom, where police officers are known as constables and individual county police forces are often called constabularies. In the U.S., the term is reserved for specially assembled forces, like the ones established in foreign countries following wars — the U.S. constabulary in Germany after World War II is one example.
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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.
Mr Hansen joined the constabulary as deputy chief constable in May 2013 and took the top job in May 2017, becoming the 16th person to head up the force in its history.
From BBC • Oct. 7, 2024
Scotland's chief inspector of constabulary has called for a strategic whole system review of mental health services.
From BBC • Dec. 11, 2023
"The most notable of these was the way the constabulary released personal information about Nicola which was avoidable and unnecessary," he said.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2023
Former inspector of constabulary Zoe Billingham said the bar for vetting applicants was "clearly too low".
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2023
The same thing took place at the house of the Chief of the constabulary forces.
From An Old Story of My Farming Days Vol. II (of III). (Ut Mine Stromtid) by Reuter, Fritz
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.
