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

Similar to the way Lamar’s performance was laden with symbolism about Black history, life and death under the American police state, Bad Bunny placed cultural tributes in plain sight.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Some of the Americans were motivated by evangelical zeal or simply attracted by the mystery of a severely cloistered police state fueled by anti-U.S. hatred.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 19, 2023

To maintain his power, Hitler quickly turned Germany into a police state.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple