posse

[pos-ee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR posse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a body or force armed with legal authority.

Slang. a group of friends or associates: hanging out with your posse; a posse of drug dealers.

Nearby words

Origin of posse

1575–85; < Medieval Latin posse power, force, noun use of L infinitive: to be able, have power, equivalent to pot- (see potent¹) + -se infinitive suffix

in posse

[in pos-e; English in pos-ee]

adverb, adjective Latin.

in possibility; potentially (contrasted with in esse).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for posse

Up till then I was just a dog-assed heavy, one of the posse.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The crowd is an assortment of reporters, posse members, film students, and very skittish men sporting huge AOL headphones.
James and the Giant Internet Company: Franco and AOL Get Kissy Faces|Amy Zimmerman|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before Escobar and his posse would surrender, the drug kingpin had a few stipulations.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens|Jeff Campagna|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Teaming up with notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the action hero is part of a ‘posse’ to protect schools in Phoenix.
Steven Seagal Takes Down Bad Guys, Protects Kids|Terry Greene Sterling|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He said some of the posse members will use their own marked cars, and others might use patrol cars if they're available.
Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Send Armed Posses to Protect Schools|Terry Greene Sterling|January 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If that posse only shows up its a dead certainty the end of the Walker trail has come.
The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail|Frank Fowler
Then a sheriff with his posse went to Lawrence to arrest one of the rescuers.
The Negro and the Nation|George S. Merriam
In such wars a posse comitatus marches ahead of the disciplined army.
The American Language|Henry L. Mencken
The cadets were exceedingly thankful for the opportune arrival of the Secret Service man and his posse.
The Rover Boys on a Hunt|Arthur M. Winfield (Edward Stratemeyer)
An hour later, as we were scaling the divide, one of the point-men sighted a posse in our rear, coming after us like fiends.
The Outlet|Andy Adams

British Dictionary definitions for posse

posse

noun

Also called: posse comitatus US the able-bodied men of a district assembled together and forming a group upon whom the sheriff may call for assistance in maintaining law and order

law possibility (esp in the phrase in posse)

slang a Jamaican street gang in the US

informal a group of friends or associates

Word Origin for posse

C16: from Medieval Latin (n): power, strength, from Latin (vb): to be able, have power

in posse

adjective

possible; potentialCompare in esse

Word Origin for in posse

Latin, literally: in possibility

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for posse

1640s (in Anglo-Latin from early 14c.), shortening of posse comitatus "the force of the county" (1620s, in Anglo-Latin from late 13c.), from Medieval Latin posse "body of men, power," from Latin posse "have power, be able" (see potent) + comitatus "of the county," genitive of Late Latin word for "court palace" (see comitatus). Modern slang meaning "small gang" is probably from Western movies.

posse

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of posse

in posse

adverb, adjective Latin.

Examples from the Web for posse

posse

noun

Word Origin for posse

in posse

adjective

Word Origin for in posse