provost marshal

American  

[proh-voh] / ˈproʊ voʊ /

noun

1. Army. an officer on the staff of a commander, charged with the maintaining of order and with other police functions within a command.

2. Navy. an officer charged with the safekeeping of a prisoner pending trial by court-martial.

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provost marshal British  

/ prəˈvəʊ /

noun

1. the officer in charge of military police and thus responsible for military discipline in a large camp, area, or city

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Etymology

Origin of provost marshal

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

provost marshal

A provost marshal enters the incident into a military database that puts the FBI on notice so it can enter the name into a background list of people prevented from buying weapons.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

Gen. Duane Miller, who as deputy provost marshal general is the Army’s No. 2 law enforcement official.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2021

An Army provost marshal clashes with a detective over a murder at the San Francisco military base.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2020

His 34-year Army career included service in Germany, Korea and Vietnam, where he was provost marshal for the 101st Airborne Division.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2016

Great pains were always taken to capture the most bitter Union man in each town and neighborhood—the one who was most inclined to bear down on Southern men—especially if he were provost marshal.

From History of Morgan's Cavalry by Duke, Basil Wilson