Interpol

American

[in-ter-pohl] / ˈɪn tərˌpoʊl /

noun

an official international agency that coordinates the police activities of more than 100 member nations: organized in 1923 with headquarters in Paris.

Interpol British

/ ˈɪntəˌpɒl /

acronym

International Criminal Police Organization, an association of over 100 national police forces, devoted chiefly to fighting international crime

"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 Interpol

Inter(national Criminal) Pol(ice Organization)

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.

The office charged with contacting Interpol didn’t follow through because of a procedural issue.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

He directed the country’s international police liaison to coordinate with Interpol to hunt down the accused abroad.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office confirmed the 45-year-old - whom it referred to only by his initials SL - was arrested following an Interpol alert.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

But a law enforcement official familiar with the situation told ProPublica there is currently no pending Interpol red notice asking for law enforcement to detain him.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

Interpol, the international police organization, had him flagged to be arrested at any one of 368 airports throughout the world.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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