police

[ puh-lees ]

noun

1. Also called police force. an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.
2. (used with a plural verb) members of such a force:

   Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.

3. the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.
4. the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.
5. any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.
6. people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc.:

   the language police.

7. Military. (in the U.S. Army)
   1. the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.
   2. the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.

verb (used with object)

, po·liced, po·lic·ing.

1. to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.
2. Military. to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.)

police

/ pəˈliːs /

noun

1. 1. the organized civil force of a state, concerned with maintenance of law and order, the detection and prevention of crime, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a police inquiry

2. functioning as plural the members of such a force collectively
3. any organized body with a similar function

   security police

4. archaic.
   1. the regulation and control of a community, esp in regard to the enforcement of law, the prevention of crime, etc
   2. the department of government concerned with this

verb

1. to regulate, control, or keep in order by means of a police or similar force
2. to observe or record the activity or enforcement of

   a committee was set up to police the new agreement on picketing

3. to make or keep (a military camp, etc) clean and orderly

Pronunciation Note

Many English words exemplify the original stress rule of Old English and other early Germanic languages, according to which all parts of speech except unprefixed verbs were stressed on the first syllable, and prefixed verbs were stressed on the syllable immediately following the prefix. Although the scope of this rule has been greatly restricted by the incorporation into English of loanwords that exhibit other stress patterns, the rule has always remained operative to some degree, and many loanwords have been conformed to it throughout the history of English. For South Midland and Midland U.S. speakers in particular, shifting the stress in borrowed nouns from a noninitial syllable to the first syllable is still an active process, yielding [poh, -lees] for police and [dee, -troit] for Detroit, as well as cement, cigar, guitar, insurance, umbrella, and idea said as [see, -ment], [see, -gahr], [git, -ahr], [in, -sh, oo, r-, uh, ns], [uhm, -brel-, uh], and [ahy, -dee, uh].

Other Words From

• o·ver·po·lice verb (used with object) overpoliced overpolicing
• pre·po·lice adjective
• un·po·liced adjective
• well-po·liced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of police¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Middle French: “government, civil administration, police,” from Late Latin polītia “citizenship, government,” from Latin polītīa; polity

Word History and Origins

Origin of police¹

C16: via French from Latin polītīa administration, government; see polity

Example Sentences

In February 2024, federal police raided the properties of former government officials and ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passport as part of the coup investigation.

From Salon

It's thought the new Trump administration will put far less resources into policing the industry.

From BBC

While outlining the summary of Mr McGregor's evidence, the jury were told that they cannot draw any adverse inference from his "no comment" answers to police weeks after the alleged incident.

From BBC

According to police, an older model blue Toyota Corolla committed a pair of moving violations around 2:55 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times

When police arrived on scene, they found more bones in the area and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office was called to assist in the investigation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• force
• law enforcement
• squad
• troops