posse

[ pos-ee ]

noun

1. posse comitatus.
2. a body or force armed with legal authority.
3. Slang. a group of friends or associates:

   hanging out with your posse; a posse of drug dealers.

posse

/ ˈpɒsɪ /

noun

1. Also calledposse comitatus the able-bodied men of a district assembled together and forming a group upon whom the sheriff may call for assistance in maintaining law and order
2. law possibility (esp in the phrase in posse )
3. slang.
   a Jamaican street gang in the US
4. informal.
   a group of friends or associates

Word History and Origins

Origin of posse¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Medieval Latin posse “power, force,” noun use of Latin infinitive: “to be able, have power,” contraction of potis “able” + esse “to be”; potent ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of posse¹

C16: from Medieval Latin (n): power, strength, from Latin (vb): to be able, have power

Example Sentences

Under normal circumstances, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 bars the U.S. military — including National Guard troops called into federal service — from taking part in domestic law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times

She watched the cheerleaders and the veterans, the posse of sheriff’s deputies and the firetrucks, the passing faces in the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

You have sections addressing the era of slavery and Reconstruction, the "Posse Comitatus" movement and the recent phenomenon of the "constitutional sheriff."

From Salon

You begin in the 1970s with the Posse Comitatus movement, which then led to the "constitutional sheriff" movement.

From Salon

The founder of the Posse Comitatus movement, among other people, worked to promote this idea that sheriffs are this last line of defense against the overreach of the federal government.

From Salon

Related Words

• detachment