police state

American  

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.

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police state British  

noun

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

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police state Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of police state

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

police state

Here, it justifies the creation of a dystopian, paranoid police state because it will make it easier to find someone’s lost dog.

From Slate ● Feb. 8, 2026

AI standards were spelled out in a landmark document, officially implemented last month, that was drafted by cyberspace regulators, cybersecurity police, state labs and China’s leading AI companies, including Alibaba and DeepSeek.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

He’s also enlisted local police, state troopers and private security for the events.

From Salon ● May 5, 2025

“This is not a police state, it’s a state that provides security,” Ulloa said.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2024

“It’s run like a police state, and it’s boring and clueless.”

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz