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Webster 1913 Edition

Police

Po-lice′

,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
politia
the condition of a state, government, administration, Gr. [GREEK], fr. [GREEK] to be a citizen, to govern or administer a state, fr. [GREEK] citizen, fr. [GREEK] city; akin to Skr.
pur
,
puri
. Cf.
Policy
polity,
Polity
.]
1.
A judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health, etc., and for the enforcement of the laws and prevention of crime; the administration of the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated town, or borough.
2.
That which concerns the order of the community; the internal regulation of a state.
3.
The organized body of civil officers in a city, town, or district, whose particular duties are the preservation of good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the enforcement of the laws.
4.
(Mil.)
Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements in a camp or garrison.
5.
The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state [GREEK] a camp as to cleanliness.
Police commissioner
,
a civil officer, usually one of a board, commissioned to regulate and control the appointment, duties, and discipline of the police.
–
Police constable
, or
Police officer
,
a policeman.
–
Police court
,
a minor court to try persons brought before it by the police.
–
Police inspector
,
an officer of police ranking next below a superintendent.
–
Police jury
,
a body of officers who collectively exercise jurisdiction in certain cases of police, as levying taxes, etc.; – so called in Louisiana.
Bouvier.
–
Police justice
, or
Police magistrate
,
a judge of a police court.
–
Police offenses
(Law)
,
minor offenses against the order of the community, of which a police court may have final jurisdiction.
–
Police station
,
the headquarters of the police, or of a section of them; the place where the police assemble for orders, and to which they take arrested persons.

Po-lice′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Policed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Policing
.]
1.
To keep in order by police.
2.
(Mil.)
To make clean;
as, to
police
a camp
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Police

POLICE

,
Noun.
[L. politia; Gr. city.]
1.
The government of a city or town; the administration of the laws and regulations of a city or incorporated town or borough; as the police of London, of New York or Boston. The word is applied also to the government of all towns in New England which are made corporations by a general statute, for certain purposes.
2.
The internal regulation and government of a kingdom or state.
3.
The corporation or body of men governing a city.
4.
In Scottish, the pleasure-ground about a gentleman's seat.

Definition 2024

Police

Police

See also: police, poliçe, and policé

German

Noun

Police f ‎(genitive Police, plural Policen)

  1. insurance policy

Luxembourgish

Noun

Police f ‎(uncountable)

  1. police

police

police

See also: Police, poliçe, and policé

English

Noun

police ‎(uncountable) (plurale tantum)

  1. A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order. [from 18th c.]
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess:
      ‘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?
    Call the police!‎
    The police operating in New York City operate under the New York City Police Department, several other City agencies and boards, and several public authorities.‎
  2. (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Scotland) A police officer. [from 19th c.]
    • 2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, ISBN 0805080759, page 440:
      This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.
  3. (obsolete) Policy. [15th-19th c.]
  4. (obsolete) Communal living; civilization. [16th-19th c.]
  5. (now rare, historical) The regulation of a given community or society; administration, law and order etc. [from 17th c.]
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Greta Nation, Penguin 2003, page 218:
      The notion of ‘police’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

police ‎(third-person singular simple present polices, present participle policing, simple past and past participle policed)

  1. (transitive) To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
    Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.‎
    • 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club:
      Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials.
    • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example.
  2. (transitive) To patrol or clean up an area.
    • 2006, Robert B. Parker, Hundred-Dollar Baby, Putnam, ISBN 0399153764, page 275,
      "Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?"
  3. (transitive, figuratively) To enforce norms or standards upon.
    to police a person's identity

Czech

Pronunciation

Noun

police f

  1. shelf (structure)

Declension

Derived terms

  • polička

French

Etymology

From Latin politia ‎(“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία ‎(politeía).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔ.lis/

Noun

police f ‎(plural polices)

  1. police
    Fuyez, la police arrive !
    Run, the police are coming!
  2. (typography) fount, font
  3. (Quebec) cop (police officer)

Related terms

See also

Verb

police

  1. first-person singular present indicative of policer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of policer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of policer
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of policer
  5. second-person singular imperative of policer

Anagrams

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin politia.

Noun

police f (plural polices)

  1. governance; management
    • 1577, Jean d'Ogerolles, Discours sur la contagion de peste qui a esté ceste presente annee en la ville de Lyon, front cover
      contenant les causes d'icelle, l'ordre, moyen et police tenue pour en purger, nettoyer et delivrer la ville (subheading)
      containing the causes, the order, means and management employed to purge, clean and deliver the city

Related terms

Norman

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin politia

Noun

police f ‎(uncountable)

  1. (Jersey) police

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

police

  1. nominative plural of polica

Slovak

Noun

police

  1. nominative plural of polica

Etymology

From French

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