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.
“It is great to see…the fans being policed according to their behavior, not an outdated reputation,” said chief constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
"The behaviour of England fans - and of course the Scots - has been excellent throughout the group stages of the World Cup," chief constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU, said.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
But Police Scotland told City of Glasgow Council's licensing board their chief constable had concerns over public safety as the cans could be used as "projectiles."
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
The former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Kate Meynell, admitted in her evidence that Calocane should have been arrested before he killed Barnaby, Grace and Ian.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
“The constable was not amused, and the gentleman was fined for slanderous action against a lady of the town.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
He was presented with the award by Chief Constable Jen Mattinson at West Midlands Police's awards evening earlier in July.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said he was "deeply sorry", conceding that "the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
An update to the Scottish Police Authority in the name of Chief Constable Jo Farrell described "a deeply concerning war between rivals" which had eventually come to an end for multiple reasons.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
"She had sustained serious injuries," police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told reporters, adding a 26-year-old white British man had been arrested in connection with Widdecombe's death.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
I dressed quickly and found Head Constable Rousseau, a security officer who was a familiar figure in our area, and two policemen.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Long before modern professional police forces, public order depended on watches, constables, alarms, and forms of compelled or expected community response.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
It will be made up of an inspector, three sergeants and 45 constables.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It also called for a new sergeant qualification to replace an "outdated" exam currently passed by fewer than half of candidates, as well as "urgent action to build a credible pipeline of future chief constables".
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Badat worked on a challenge to DeSoto County districts that were used for the county’s board of supervisors, school board, election commission, county constables and their judges.
From Salon ● May 16, 2026
He could handle the hungry constables of the villages, but he had respect for the experienced and voracious big city police.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
