Interpol

American

[in-ter-pohl] / ˈɪn tərˌpoʊl /

noun

an official international agency that coordinates the police activities of more than 100 member nations: organized in 1923 with headquarters in Paris.

Interpol British

/ ˈɪntəˌpɒl /

acronym

International Criminal Police Organization, an association of over 100 national police forces, devoted chiefly to fighting international crime

"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

Etymology

Origin of Interpol

Inter(national Criminal) Pol(ice Organization)

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.

Interpol says a monthlong operation led by the international police body resulted in the rescue of nearly 30,000 live animals that were being trafficked.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The office charged with contacting Interpol didn’t follow through because of a procedural issue.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office confirmed the 45-year-old - whom it referred to only by his initials SL - was arrested following an Interpol alert.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Meanwhile, Honduran officials have issued a warrant for Hernández’s arrest over years-old fraud allegations and, in a social media post, asked Interpol and other international allies to honor it.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

Interpol, the international police organization, had him flagged to be arrested at any one of 368 airports throughout the world.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023