police state

noun

1. a nation in which the police, especially a secret police, summarily suppresses any social, economic, or political act that conflicts with governmental policy.

police state

noun

1. a state or country in which a repressive government maintains control through the police

police state

1. A nation whose rulers maintain order and obedience by the threat of police or military force; one with a brutal, arbitrary government.

Word History and Origins

Origin of police state¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

It’s now a full-blown police state aligned with Caracas.

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West Berlin was essentially an island of freedom inside an oppressive police state.

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It is a plan that admits the realities of life in a police state.

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“I think by the end of this administration, if she stays the whole time, she’s likely to become the warden of the police state.”

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The underground church isn’t really secret in the police state that is China.

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