Special Branch

British

noun

(in Britain) the department of the police force that is concerned with political security

"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

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.

Investigators for the rights commission traced that car to a man in Kuala Lumpur who worked for the Special Branch.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

Special Branch, which typically handles national security and intelligence in the U.K., “never bothered to prepare overseas trips,” relying instead on local security forces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Part of its investigation looked at the conduct of Stakeknife’s Army handlers and police Special Branch, as well as MI5.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2024

Mr Borrelli KC asked: "You've a real grievance about Special Branch?"

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023

White and African police and members of the Special Branch milled around, taking photographs, writing in notebooks, and trying unsuccessfully to intimidate the delegates.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023