What does "police" mean?
A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.
Police
/pəˈliːs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.
- Grammar: police is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: constabulary, police force, law, police department.
- Useful contrasts: german zivil, anarchy, army.
- Usage evidence: The police will get you to find the bullets.
How to use "police"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "police" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "police" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "police" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "police" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "police" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "constabulary" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "police", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime. plural, plural-normally
"There are nine Principles of Police: ... 7 To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interests of community welfare and existence."
- 2 the force of policemen and officers wordnet
- 3 A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.; A department of local (usually municipal) government responsible for general law enforcement. Canada, US, historical, plural, plural-normally
"The Cook County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction across most of Chicago but focuses on the unincorporated area and tasks like prisoner transport, leaving the rest to the Chicago Police Department."
- 4 A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.; A branch of the Home Office responsible for general law enforcement within a specific territory. UK, plural, plural-normally
"Scotland Yard is, technically speaking, only the metropolitan police for Greater London but because of their importance they have special jurisdiction for some crimes across the United Kingdom."
- 5 A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.; Any of the formally enacted law enforcement agencies at various levels of government. Australia, New-Zealand, plural, plural-normally
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Jamaica, Scotland, countable) an individual police officer. plural, plural-normally, plural-only, usually
"Pearlman: Very clever, Lester. You got it all figured, huh? Freamon: Me? I'm just a police."
- 7 People who try to enforce norms or standards as if granted authority similar to the police. derogatory, figuratively, ironic, mildly, plural, plural-normally, usually
"Who called the fashion police?"
- 8 Cleanup of a military facility, as a formal duty. plural, plural-normally, slang
"Q. […] What did you do that day? — A. I was cleaning up around quarters. Q. You had been on guard and went on police duty? You were policing, cleaning up around the barracks? — A. Yes, sir."
- 9 Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society. archaic, plural, plural-normally
"The notion of ‘police’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies."
- 10 Alternative form of policy. alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally
- 11 Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community. alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally
Verb
- 1 To enforce the law and keep order among (a group). transitive
"Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game."
- 2 maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol wordnet
- 3 To clean up an area. ambitransitive, slang
"This comes to him through the company housekeeping, for in the field each organization takes care of itself, cooks its own food, makes its own beds, does its own policing (cleaning up); […]"
- 4 To enforce norms or standards upon. figuratively, transitive
"to police a person's identity"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The police will get you to find the bullets."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "police"?
Common synonyms include: constabulary, police force, law, police department, police service, 5-o.
How do you use "police" in a sentence?
The police will get you to find the bullets.
How do you pronounce "police"?
Pronounced /pəˈliːs/.
Etymology
From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.