police
Americannoun
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police
plural
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Also called police force. an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.
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(used with a plural verb) members of such a force.
Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.
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the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.
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the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.
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any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.
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people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc..
the language police.
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Military. (in the U.S. Army)
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the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.
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the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.
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verb (used with object)
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polices,
present (3rd person singular)
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policed,
past participle, past
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policing
present participle
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to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.
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Military. to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.)
noun
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the organized civil force of a state, concerned with maintenance of law and order, the detection and prevention of crime, etc
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( as modifier )
a police inquiry
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(functioning as plural) the members of such a force collectively
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any organized body with a similar function
security police
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archaic
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the regulation and control of a community, esp in regard to the enforcement of law, the prevention of crime, etc
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the department of government concerned with this
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verb
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to regulate, control, or keep in order by means of a police or similar force
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to observe or record the activity or enforcement of
a committee was set up to police the new agreement on picketing
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to make or keep (a military camp, etc) clean and orderly
Pronunciation
Many English words exemplify the original stress rule of Old English and other early Germanic languages, according to which all parts of speech except unprefixed verbs were stressed on the first syllable, and prefixed verbs were stressed on the syllable immediately following the prefix. Although the scope of this rule has been greatly restricted by the incorporation into English of loanwords that exhibit other stress patterns, the rule has always remained operative to some degree, and many loanwords have been conformed to it throughout the history of English. For South Midland and Midland U.S. speakers in particular, shifting the stress in borrowed nouns from a noninitial syllable to the first syllable is still an active process, yielding for police and for Detroit, as well as cement, cigar, guitar, insurance, umbrella, and idea said as , , , , , and .
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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policesimple
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policessimple
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have policedperfect
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has policedperfect
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am policingprogressive
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are policingprogressive
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is policingprogressive
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have been policingperfect progressive
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has been policingperfect progressive
Past
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policedsimple
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had policedperfect
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was policingprogressive
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were policingprogressive
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had been policingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of police
First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French: “government, civil administration, police,” from Late Latin polītia “citizenship, government,” from Latin polītīa; see polity
Explanation
The word police refers to the members of a law enforcement organization, or to the organization itself. If you see a crime being committed, you should call the police. The job of the police is to protect citizens and enforce laws. You might see police patrolling parks or maintaining order at large gatherings, like concerts and demonstrations. As a verb, to police is to enforce laws or keep a watchful eye on things. Actual police officers might police a political protest, while teachers are sometimes called upon to police school dances and parties.
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.
See Examples For:
Security has been tightened across industrial zones, with Border Guard Bangladesh and police personnel patrolling areas near factories.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2026
A police spokesperson said the victim's family had been informed and were being supported by specially trained officers.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Just this week, in fact, police in Irvine, Calif., issued a warning after a recent string of such incidents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026
Schwarzenegger’s character, a Los Angeles police detective, goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher, falls for fellow teacher Joyce and becomes a father figure to Dominic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026
How do I make this police officer, a normal, regular person, understand that things aren’t the way Dad frames them?
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
About 40% of seniors in traditional Medicare buy supplemental insurance polices to cover benefits like dental and vision care not provided by the government and for protection against catastrophic costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Some critics saw this is a way of avoiding serious scrutiny of polices in favour of softball questions from non-specialists.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Not all term polices have conversion features,” Harrison said.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026
It polices remedies and the finality of convictions, not the enforceability of unconstitutional laws going forward.
From Slate ● Jan. 8, 2026
It is England that polices the Seven Seas, and America has reaped no small benefits from the self-imposed task, an aspect of the matter to which every thoughtful American is alive.
From The Crime Against Europe A Possible Outcome of the War of 1914 by Roger Casement
Giancarlo: Traditional gambling, which is well policed by state authorities, involves a booking.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
Responding to this allegation last week, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the demonstrations had been policed in "an extremely proportionate manner".
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Compliance would be policed for 10 years by an independent auditor chosen jointly by Meta and the states, and paid for by the company.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
It was the era of “Urban Cowboy” and purity was being policed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
A peek at the entries for these words in any dictionary will show that Macdonald was wrong about the inevitable degeneration of a language that is not policed by lexicographers.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Foster was charged following a "significant policing operation" around Ger-y-Nant, where he lived, and which is managed by the Valleys to Coast housing association, where Barnfield worked.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
“As Chief of Police, I remain committed to leading a department that delivers professional, constitutional, and compassionate policing to all Angelenos,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Today, Beijing maintains extensive commercial and policing ties with Pacific Island nations, none of which want to completely freeze out China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
He says years of underinvestment have left forces relying on ageing technology, while officers are increasingly diverted from neighbourhood policing to deal with other demands, including mental health and social care.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
He said the poor didn’t need policing; they needed help, and we could give it to them.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
