thought police

British  

noun

1. a group of people with totalitarian views on a given subject, who constantly monitor others for any deviation from prescribed thinking

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Etymology

Origin of thought police

C20: from the Thought Police described by George Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

Example Sentences

Asked to clarify his thoughts further on whether he thought police forces should be obliged to publish such details, he said: "Yes, I absolutely think that they should."

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

There’s already a strong sense among conspiracy theorists that there’s a well-organized thought police, so organized efforts to fight these ideas have little chance to succeed.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2023

Janz, who also lives in the Skyline Towers, was surprised by the incident, but he thought police had it under control.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

As an adolescent in the 1930s, Chiyoko fell in love with a wounded artist who was fleeing the dreaded thought police.

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2022

Odd—when Pax had ruled, there were thought police and the cardinal sin was to be a liberal, to experiment, to seek knowledge.

From Star Born by Norton, Andre