police

[ puh-lees ]

/ pəˈlis /

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See synonyms for: police / policed / polices / policing on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also called police force. an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.

(used with a plural verb) members of such a force: Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.

the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.

the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.

any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.

people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc.: the language police.

Military. (in the U.S. Army)

the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.
the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.

verb (used with object), po·liced, po·lic·ing.

to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.

Military. to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.)

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Origin of police

1520–30; <Middle French: government, civil administration, police <Late Latin polītia citizenship, government, for Latin polītīa;see polity

how to pronounce police

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

[poh-lees] /ˈpoʊ lis/ for police and

[dee-troit] /ˈdi trɔɪt/ for Detroit, as well as cement, cigar, guitar, insurance, umbrella, and idea said as

[see-ment], /ˈsi mɛnt/,

[see-gahr], /ˈsi gɑr/,

[git-ahr], /ˈgɪt ɑr/,

[in-shoor-uhns], /ˈɪn ʃʊər əns/,

[uhm-brel-uh], /ˈʌm brɛl ə/, and

[ahy-deeuh]. /ˈaɪ diə/.

OTHER WORDS FROM police

o·ver·po·lice, verb (used with object), o·ver·po·liced, o·ver·po·lic·ing.pre·po·lice, adjectiveself-po·lic·ing, adjectiveun·po·liced, adjective

well-po·liced, adjective

Words nearby police

poley, poleyn, Polglish, Poliakoff, polianite, police, police action, police car, police court, police dog, police force

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use police in a sentence

Moreno said the major told him he summoned him to the police station “to alert me that I can face four charges for his publications.”
Cuban authorities threaten to arrest LGBTQ activist, journalist|Michael K. Lavers|September 17, 2020|Washington Blade
Injunctions ban individuals from being around anyone else the police deem gang members even if neither has a criminal record.
While We’re Rethinking Policing, It’s Time to End Gang Injunctions|Jamie Wilson|September 15, 2020|Voice of San Diego
There’s no current timeline on when the next chief of police will be hired, Lorson said.
Oceanside Is Rethinking Its Police Chief Hiring Process Following Community Concerns|Kayla Jimenez|September 14, 2020|Voice of San Diego
In recent weeks, though, Nucci has been interviewing people who’ve received a ticket and they all claim they were cited after saying something an officer found personally offensive — usually about the police and sometimes quietly to themselves.
Morning Report: Punished for Pissing Off Police|Voice of San Diego|September 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego

In both cases, police appear to have stretched the law far beyond its intended use.
Those Ticketed for Seditious Language Say Their Only Crime Was Talking Back|Kate Nucci|September 9, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Police officials told the AP that they came out with guns blazing.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yves Albarello, MP of Seine-et-Marne, said the gunmen told police they were ready to “die as martyrs.”
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Smith attended both funerals as a cop and as the husband of Police Officer Moira Smith, who died on 9/11.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical|Stereo Williams|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The Wizard of Watts is not just about police brutality,” he says.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical|Stereo Williams|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If Mac had been alone he would have made the post by sundown, for the Mounted Police rode picked horses, the best money could buy.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
It happened that I didn't stay around those police posts long enough to get familiar with the technical terms for everything.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Aristide picked it up and began to dance and shake his fist at the invisible police.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
“To say that you would have more sense than the police, would be a poor compliment,” said the old lady.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
A less imaginative man than Aristide would have immediately acquainted the police with his discovery.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for police

police

/ (pəˈliːs) /

noun

the police the organized civil force of a state, concerned with maintenance of law and order, the detection and prevention of crime, etc
(as modifier)a police inquiry

(functioning as plural) the members of such a force collectively

any organized body with a similar functionsecurity police

archaic

the regulation and control of a community, esp in regard to the enforcement of law, the prevention of crime, etc
the department of government concerned with this

verb (tr)

to regulate, control, or keep in order by means of a police or similar force

to observe or record the activity or enforcement ofa committee was set up to police the new agreement on picketing

US to make or keep (a military camp, etc) clean and orderly

Word Origin for police

C16: via French from Latin polītīa administration, government; see polity

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

police

Origin of police

how to pronounce police

OTHER WORDS FROM police

Words nearby police

Words related to police

How to use police in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for police

Word Origin for police