police en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- Proto-Hellenic *ptólis Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis) Proto-Indo-European *-tósder. Ancient Greek -της (-tēs) Ancient Greek πολῑ́της (polī́tēs) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek πολῑτείᾱ (polīteíā)bor. Latin politiabor. Middle French policeder. English police From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.
Meanings
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(plural, plural-normally) 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.
Citadel Security is a volunteer police service answering to the Citadel Council. The 200,000 constables of C-Sec are responsible for maintaining public order in the densely populated Citadel.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel Station: Citadel Security Services (C-Sec) Codex entry: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.
1943, Charles Reith, British Police and the Democratic Ideal, pp. 3–4There’s only one police in this town.
2012 July 16, Jonathan, Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises, spoken by Peter Foley (Matthew Modine), Warner Bros. Pictures:In the criminal justice system, the People are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
1990 Sept. 13, David Black & al., "Prescription for Death", Law & Order, 00:00:01The rally on Sunday in Victoria Park, in the Causeway Bay district, was authorized in advance by the police. But protesters were also expected to begin marching later in the day from Sham Shui Po, a working-class neighborhood on the Kowloon peninsula, across the harbor from North Point. The police rejected their application for a permit.
2019 August 11, Mike Ives, “Hong Kong Protesters Gather Amid Fears of Mob Violence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2019:Police! help! Police! help!
‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:Call the police!
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(Canada, US, historical, plural, plural-normally) 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.
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.
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(UK, plural, plural-normally) 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.
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.
- (Australia, New-Zealand, plural, plural-normally) 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.
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(plural, plural-normally, plural-only, usually) The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Jamaica, Scotland, countable) an individual police officer.
This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.
2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, →ISBN, page 440:Pearlman: Very clever, Lester. You got it all figured, huh? Freamon: Me? I'm just a police.
2006 Sept. 17, David Mills, "Soft Eyes", The Wire, 00:06:50
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(derogatory, figuratively, ironic, mildly, plural, plural-normally, usually) People who try to enforce norms or standards as if granted authority similar to the police.
Who called the fashion police?
A major drama has broken out in France after the local language police decreed one of their cute little accents to be largely redundant
2016 February 5, “How the circumflex became France's bête noire”, in The Guardian:Then there were the taste police, who thought that this bulky modern machine was an inappropriate intrusion […]
2010, Mary Beard, It's a Don's Life, →ISBN, page 147:
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(plural, plural-normally, slang) Cleanup of a military facility, as a formal duty.
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.
1907, Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate, concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Tex. on the Night of August 13 and 14, 1906, volume 2:
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(archaic, plural, plural-normally) Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society.
The notion of ‘police’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.
2002, Colin Jones, The Greta Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 218:
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(alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally) Alternative form of policy.
alt of policy
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(alt-of, alternative, obsolete, plural, plural-normally) Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community.
alt of civilizationalt of polity
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| police | Number=Sing | lexicographic |
Deriveds
antipolice · police ambulance · police constable · policeperson · police special · pretty police · police village · Syariah police · police brutality · policeless · fire police · police lieutenant · police violence · identity police · police barrier · haram police · armed police · fashion police · Interpol · religious police · moral police · riot police officer · police van · depolice · chief of police · police office · special police · tone police · police department · cyberpolice · policeman · Sharia police · tourist police · police one's brass · time police · riot police · police box · police officer · fanpol · overpolice · police beat · secret police · pawlice · piglice · grammar police · policeboat · security police · policelike · police service · police detective · police car · police sergeant · morality police · judicial police · POLAC · police line · policeable · policespeak · fun police · police chief · police commissioner · police jury · police burgh · policiary · traffic police · police sketch · water police · police up · service police · police wagon · police report · call the police · police procedural · state police · police blotter · policedom · police power · I'll call the police · police captain · police protection · military police · police clearance certificate · police and thief · police dog · policewoman · police work · FTP · police station · police force · police record · police court · policewear · police science · police scanner · policeism · police tape · police man · Policespeak · police lives matter · policework · police squad · community police officer · policial · police positive · police state · counterpolice · police escort · nonpolice · prepolice · fuck the police · field police · police action · thought police · language police · police magistrate · mounted police · police boy · parapolice · polac · police search advisor
Descendants
polis · pulis · پُولِیس · ပုလိပ် · போலீசு · پُولِيسَ · pulis · போலீஸ்
Hyponyms
RCMP · Met · Gardai · Scotland Yard · Sûreté · CID · flying squad · CSI · NYPD · SOCO · SWAT · Guards · LAPD · Special Branch
Meronyms
police officer · police vehicle · precinct · charpering carsey · police station · nick · cop shop
Relateds
polity · politic · politically · polis · beat · policy · long arm of the law · authority · political · power · politicization · politics · politicisation · patch · politician · politicize · manor · politicise
Synonyms
gendarmerie · police service · gardai · piglice · Old Bill · bacon · polis · esclop · constabulary · five-o · Babylon · dibble · force · ducks and geese · 5-O · fuzz · police officer (law enforcement officers) · any plural synonym of police officer · ecilop · garda · police · monarch · filth · thin blue line · plod · Bill · administration · police department · po-po · boydem · police force · law · donut patrol · feds · Big Blue Machine · heat · maaveh
Translations (220)
ab аполициа (local or general law enforcement agency) · nrf police (local or general law enforcement agency) · be палі́цыя (local or general law enforcement agency) · hy ոստիկանություն (local or general law enforcement agency) · os полицӕ (local or general law enforcement agency) · bg поли́ция (local or general law enforcement agency) · cmn 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · xal цагда (local or general law enforcement agency) · tr sakçı (local or general law enforcement agency) · ne प्रहरी (local or general law enforcement agency) · ms polisi (local or general law enforcement agency) · rsk полиция (local or general law enforcement agency) · cy heddlu (local or general law enforcement agency) · uk мілі́ція (local or general law enforcement agency) · fy polysje (local or general law enforcement agency) · tg полисия (local or general law enforcement agency) · se boliisa (local or general law enforcement agency) · la vigilia (local or general law enforcement agency) · te పోలీసు (local or general law enforcement agency) · it polizia (local or general law enforcement agency) · kmr polîs (local or general law enforcement agency) · my ပုလိပ် (local or general law enforcement agency) · ms serdadu (local or general law enforcement agency) · ga péas (local or general law enforcement agency) · or ପୁଲିସ୍ (local or general law enforcement agency) · wal xaaciya (local or general law enforcement agency) · dng яйи (local or general law enforcement agency) · ckb پۆلیس (local or general law enforcement agency) · ky полиция (local or general law enforcement agency) · rcf polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup pulitsii (local or general law enforcement agency) · fo løgregla (local or general law enforcement agency) · dsb policija (local or general law enforcement agency) · fi poliisi (local or general law enforcement agency) · kn ಪೊಲೀಸ್ (local or general law enforcement agency) · tg пулис (local or general law enforcement agency) · shu بوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · ru поли́ция (local or general law enforcement agency) · prs شُرْطَه (local or general law enforcement agency) · prs پولِیس (local or general law enforcement agency) · tl pulis (local or general law enforcement agency) · kw kreslu (local or general law enforcement agency) · vi cảnh sát (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup astinumii (local or general law enforcement agency) · la denutiatores (local or general law enforcement agency) · et politsei (local or general law enforcement agency) · uz militsiya (local or general law enforcement agency) · ky милиция (local or general law enforcement agency) · bn আরক্ষী (local or general law enforcement agency) · nl politie (local or general law enforcement agency) · mn цагдаа (local or general law enforcement agency) · fa-ira شُرْطِه (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup pulitsie (local or general law enforcement agency) · la biocolyta (local or general law enforcement agency) · mi pirihimana (local or general law enforcement agency) · lo ຕຳຫຼວດ (local or general law enforcement agency) · ur شُرْطَہ (local or general law enforcement agency) · ar شُرْطَة (local or general law enforcement agency) · pdt Polizei (local or general law enforcement agency) · tg полис (local or general law enforcement agency) · nan-hbl 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · ce милцо (local or general law enforcement agency) · gd poileas (local or general law enforcement agency) · de Polizei (local or general law enforcement agency) · li pliesj (local or general law enforcement agency) · hi आरक्षी (local or general law enforcement agency) · rm polizia (local or general law enforcement agency) · os милицӕ (local or general law enforcement agency) · ms mata-mata (local or general law enforcement agency) · ga póilíní (local or general law enforcement agency) · ht lapolis (local or general law enforcement agency) · ur پُولِس (local or general law enforcement agency) · hsb policija (local or general law enforcement agency) · gu પોલીસ (local or general law enforcement agency) · am ፖሊስ (local or general law enforcement agency) · uz politsiya (local or general law enforcement agency) · fr police (local or general law enforcement agency) · ga Gardaí (local or general law enforcement agency) · la vigiles (local or general law enforcement agency) · hu rendőrség (local or general law enforcement agency) · cmn 公安 (local or general law enforcement agency) · cjy 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · my ရဲ (local or general law enforcement agency) · km ប៉ូលីស (local or general law enforcement agency) · km តម្រួត (local or general law enforcement agency) · yue 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · fa-ira پاسْبان (local or general law enforcement agency) · is lögga (local or general law enforcement agency) · ur پُولِیس (local or general law enforcement agency) · sh мѝлӣција (local or general law enforcement agency) · so boolis (local or general law enforcement agency) · cdo 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · tg политсия (local or general law enforcement agency) · haw mākaʻi (local or general law enforcement agency) · ms polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · ur پاسْبان (local or general law enforcement agency) · acw بوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · bn পুলিশ (local or general law enforcement agency) · az polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · lb Polizei (local or general law enforcement agency) · io polico (local or general law enforcement agency) · ja 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · nn politi (local or general law enforcement agency) · lad polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · be мілі́цыя (local or general law enforcement agency) · tr polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · dng җинца (local or general law enforcement agency) · nv siláo (local or general law enforcement agency) · af polisie (local or general law enforcement agency) · sh mìlīcija (local or general law enforcement agency) · dng милис (local or general law enforcement agency) · ajp بوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · wuu 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · arz شرطة (local or general law enforcement agency) · tk polisiýa (local or general law enforcement agency) · mk мили́ција (local or general law enforcement agency) · km កុងអាន (local or general law enforcement agency) · vi công an (local or general law enforcement agency) · sh polìcija (local or general law enforcement agency) · it forza pubblica (local or general law enforcement agency) · sq polici (local or general law enforcement agency) · sco polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · nb politi (local or general law enforcement agency) · mfe lapolis (local or general law enforcement agency) · kk милиция (local or general law enforcement agency) · su pulisi (local or general law enforcement agency) · acw شُرْطة (local or general law enforcement agency) · la denuntiator (local or general law enforcement agency) · ar بُولِيس (local or general law enforcement agency) · pa ਪੁਲਿਸ (local or general law enforcement agency) · la publicus (local or general law enforcement agency) · th โปลิศ (local or general law enforcement agency) · sv polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · ab амилициа (local or general law enforcement agency) · th ตำรวจ (local or general law enforcement agency) · tr kınçal (local or general law enforcement agency) · tk milisiýa (local or general law enforcement agency) · za gingjcaz (local or general law enforcement agency) · cmn 警方 (local or general law enforcement agency) · ro poliție (local or general law enforcement agency) · as আৰক্ষী (local or general law enforcement agency) · br polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · ga gardaí (local or general law enforcement agency) · ee kpovitɔ (local or general law enforcement agency) · ajp شرطة (local or general law enforcement agency) · mr पोलीस (local or general law enforcement agency) · id polisi (local or general law enforcement agency) · rue полі́ція (local or general law enforcement agency) · lmy palihi (local or general law enforcement agency) · vo pold (local or general law enforcement agency) · ta போலீஸ் (local or general law enforcement agency) · ryu 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · es tombería (local or general law enforcement agency) · aii ܫܘܼܪܛܵܐ (local or general law enforcement agency) · bn নিরাপত্তারক্ষী (local or general law enforcement agency) · sw polisi (local or general law enforcement agency) · cs policie (local or general law enforcement agency) · as নিৰাপত্তাৰক্ষী (local or general law enforcement agency) · gl policía (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup pulitsia (local or general law enforcement agency) · la denuntiatores (local or general law enforcement agency) · si පොලීසිය (local or general law enforcement agency) · az zabitiyyə (local or general law enforcement agency) · lt policija (local or general law enforcement agency) · bo ཉེན་རྟོག་པ (local or general law enforcement agency) · yi פּאָליציי (local or general law enforcement agency) · as পুলিচ (local or general law enforcement agency) · lo ໂປລິດ (local or general law enforcement agency) · eu polizia (local or general law enforcement agency) · fa-ira پُلیس (local or general law enforcement agency) · tg милитсия (local or general law enforcement agency) · es policía (local or general law enforcement agency) · sl policija (local or general law enforcement agency) · ary بوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · qu chapaq (local or general law enforcement agency) · la custos (local or general law enforcement agency) · hi पुलिस (local or general law enforcement agency) · aeb حكم (local or general law enforcement agency) · km ប៉ូលិស (local or general law enforcement agency) · ug ساقچى (local or general law enforcement agency) · ml പോലീസ് (local or general law enforcement agency) · sk polícia (local or general law enforcement agency) · sv aina (local or general law enforcement agency) · bcl pulis (local or general law enforcement agency) · frr politii (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup astinumie (local or general law enforcement agency) · ca policia (local or general law enforcement agency) · sq policia (local or general law enforcement agency) · kk полиция (local or general law enforcement agency) · da politi (local or general law enforcement agency) · ka პოლიცია (local or general law enforcement agency) · te రక్షక దళము (local or general law enforcement agency) · ps پوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · tl pulisya (local or general law enforcement agency) · hak 警察 (local or general law enforcement agency) · sv shorta (local or general law enforcement agency) · mk поли́ција (local or general law enforcement agency) · km នគរបាល (local or general law enforcement agency) · kl politiit (local or general law enforcement agency) · oc polícia (local or general law enforcement agency) · is lögregla (local or general law enforcement agency) · arz بوليس (local or general law enforcement agency) · lv policija (local or general law enforcement agency) · ru мили́ция (local or general law enforcement agency) · sh полѝција (local or general law enforcement agency) · mn ᠴᠠᠭᠳᠠᠭᠠ (local or general law enforcement agency) · he משטרה \ מִשְׁטָרָה (local or general law enforcement agency) · ta காவல் (local or general law enforcement agency) · ti ፖሊስ (local or general law enforcement agency) · mt pulizija (local or general law enforcement agency) · el αστυνομία (local or general law enforcement agency) · eo polico (local or general law enforcement agency) · gv poleenyn (local or general law enforcement agency) · crh polis (local or general law enforcement agency) · pl policja (local or general law enforcement agency) · rup astinumia (local or general law enforcement agency) · pt polícia (local or general law enforcement agency) · ko 경찰 (local or general law enforcement agency) · uk полі́ція (local or general law enforcement agency) · dtp pulis (local or general law enforcement agency)
wikidata: Q35535 · wikidata: Q35535 · wikidata: Q35535 · wikidata: Q35535