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Synonyms

police force

American  
[puh-lees fawrs] / pəˈlis ˌfɔrs /

noun

  • police forces
    plural
  1. Often the force or the Force the police, an organized civil force for enforcing laws.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of police force

First recorded in 1830–40


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:

The EU had also previously urged prompt investigation into allegations of excessive police force.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a post on X that his departure from the police force was regarded as a dishonourable discharge, external.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

The mayor, whose police force is charged with protecting Benjamin Netanyahu during his U.N. visit, said he would skip protests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Figures collected by the BBC show a slight fall in the number of shoplifting offences across England and Wales in the past financial year and that was mirrored in the West Mercia police force area.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Second, the new police strategies were accompanied by a much more significant change within the police force: a hiring binge.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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