policing
Americannoun
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the act of maintaining public order and security, enforcing the law, or regulating or controlling something, by or as if by members of a police force.
No matter what style is adopted for the policing of a community, officers must use discretion in interpreting the activities of citizens.
Careful family use of the internet doesn't need to be a punitive policing of children's activities online.
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Military. the act of cleaning up a camp or post or of keeping it clean.
After the major’s visit, the policing of the entire camp and all the fighting positions improved 100 percent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of policing
First recorded in 1830–40; police ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
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.
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the policing operation will cost the force £4.5m.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Public Order Act conditions are being imposed on both marches and live facial recognition will be used as part of a protest policing operation for the first time.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
Will Iran have some role in policing the Strait of Hormuz after the war ends?
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Some researchers have argued that predictive policing systems do not increase the likelihood that racial minorities will be arrested more often relative to traditional policing practices.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
But to do the policing job properly would cost money beyond any legislator’s courage to appropriate, given the present volume and toxicity of agricultural chemicals.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
