police
IPA: pʌɫˈis
noun
- A public agency charged with enforcing laws and maintaining public order, usually being granted special privileges to do so, particularly
- (Canada, US and historical) A department of local (usually municipal) government responsible for general law enforcement.
- (UK) A branch of the Home Office responsible for general law enforcement within a specific territory.
- (Australia, New Zealand) Any of the formally enacted law enforcement agencies at various levels of government.
- (usually plural only) The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Jamaica, Scotland, countable) an individual police officer.
- (figuratively, usually ironic and mildly derogatory) People who try to enforce norms or standards as if granted authority similar to the police.
- (military, slang) Cleanup of a military facility, as a formal duty.
- (archaic, now rare) Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society.
- (obsolete) Alternative form of policy. [A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to be desirable or necessary, especially as formally expressed by a government or other authoritative body.]
- (obsolete) Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community. [(politics, religion, usually uncountable) Organizational structure and governance, especially of a state or a religion.]
verb
- (transitive) To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
- (transitive, intransitive, military, slang) To clean up an area.
- (transitive, figurative) To enforce norms or standards upon.
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Examples of "police" in Sentences
- A burglar escapes the police.
- Police are probing the incident.
- Are the police inferior to the military
- That is the job of the police, and the courts.
- The riots were caused by a distrust of the police and authority.
- The Police Chief of the district is the Superintendent of Police.
- The force is under the local oversight of the Wiltshire Police Authority.
- Lou is the police sergeant and a competent officer of the Springfield Police.
- The Chief of Personnel saw the police and security functions as complementary.
- The purpose is to formalize cooperation between the police and school and college authorities regarding security and prevention of crimes.