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:
The police have the right "investigatory powers and resources" to handle the case, they rule, with individual MI5 officers now potentially facing investigation for misconduct in public office.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Protesters in Gazipur blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway and set fire to roadside debris, but were later cleared by police.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
According to police, the suspect fled the scene within minutes, just as police officers arrived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Sabrina called the police, which attended and then left shortly after.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
I’d taken him for a local police inspector.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Mills pointed to polices such as control areas for the number of short-term lets and an ongoing review of how key workers are allocated council housing.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 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
Customs and Border Protection, which polices most imported goods, collected $33 billion in revenue from reviews of import documents, up from $668 million the previous year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
Dear Sir—The death of our client, and your uncle, John Glenning, on the 14th inst., reveals the fact that one of his life insurance polices was executed with you as beneficiary.
From The Man from Jericho by Edwin Carlile Litsey
Giancarlo: Traditional gambling, which is well policed by state authorities, involves a booking.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
By Monday, the highway had reopened and the campus was calmer, but heavily policed.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Law enforcement policed criminal activity; agencies with national-security duties kept their distance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
It was the era of “Urban Cowboy” and purity was being policed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The stock market was not only transparent but heavily policed.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Senior officers say they are investing in technology to combat e-bikes, but said this was not just a policing problem, and would need a broader effort to tackle the issue.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
At the Interior Ministry, which oversees policing, pensions absorb 30% of total departmental spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
Bonfire Night policing will be 'largest operation since Trump visit'
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Both spent years working as community organizers, but now they diverge on issues such as policing and homeless policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
There was perhaps no more attractive theory than the belief that smart policing stops crime.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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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.
