policeman

[puh-lees-muhn]

noun

plural

policemen 

1. a member of a police force or body.

2. Ice Hockey.,  enforcer.

policeman

/ pəˈliːsmən /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: police officer. a member of a police force, esp one holding the rank of constable

Gender Note

See -man.

Other Word Forms

• policemanlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of policeman¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; police + -man

Example Sentences

Pakistani police said Monday they launched a clearance operation against a hardline Islamist party after failed negotiations to call off an anti-Israel protest, with five killed in the violence, including one policeman.

Read more on Barron's

That tension erupted into violence after resident Cynthia Jarrett, a black woman, died from heart failure when four policemen burst into her home on the estate searching for stolen property.

Read more on BBC

"All appointments are 10 minutes, and once you've got through the security checks there is not much time. These short appointments mean you're just being a benefits policeman."

Read more on BBC

He’s an honest policeman who describes himself as a “functionnaire,” a civil servant, and whose belief in justice might sometimes lead him to letting a malefactor escape.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Several policemen were arrested last year for allegedly aiding Khalusha's escape, but they were later released on bail.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• constable 
• detective 
• man 
• officer 
• patrolman 
• patrolwoman 
• police 
• policewoman