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

Det Con Linge also said she thought police training on all levels of searches was not adequate.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 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

“It may not strike your fancy, that’s fine. But this is how I think and you don’t get to be my thought police person.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 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