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Synonyms

posse comitatus

American  
[pos-ee kom-i-tah-tuhs, -tey-] / ˈpɒs i ˌkɒm ɪˈtɑ təs, -ˈteɪ- /

noun

  1. the body of persons that a peace officer of a county is empowered to call upon for assistance in preserving the peace, making arrests, and serving writs.

  2. a body of persons so called into service.

posse comitatus British  
/ ˌkɒmɪˈtɑːtəs /

noun

  1. the formal legal term for posse

"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

Etymology

Origin of posse comitatus

1620–30; < Medieval Latin: posse of the county

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.

Posse comitatus is not a phrase that trips lightly off every tongue.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2014

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.