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

"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."

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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.

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

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Nina Kutina, 40, and her daughters - aged six and five - were rescued on 9 July by policemen on a routine patrol in a forest in the southern state of Karnataka.

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"He was known for using sedatives and had given policemen the slip not only in Delhi but in several other cities around the world. There was no reason for anyone to trust him," he says.

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Related Words

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