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Synonyms

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

"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 thought police

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

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.

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

She didn’t report it because she didn’t know the man and thought police would refuse to investigate.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

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

The “clearly” is debatable, given Gervais’s long history of posturing that his humor is too real for the thought police.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2021

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