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police force
noun
: a body of trained officers entrusted by a government with maintenance of public peace and order, enforcement of laws, and prevention and detection of crime
Synonyms
Examples of police force in a Sentence
He joined the local police force.
mobilized practically the entire police force to track down the escaped criminal
Recent Examples on the Web
Spanish police forces will deploy 2,000 extra officers to boost security in the capital for its two games, government spokesperson Pilar Alegria told reporters Tuesday.
—Jay Marques, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
George, who had been with the police force for 10 years at the time of the shooting, could not be reached for comment.
—Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Kansas City remains the only city in Missouri that does not have local control of its police force.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The Town of Herndon is a part of Fairfax County, just outside the nation's capital, but the town maintains its own police force.
—Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Jordan’s assault would bring the truth to light: Not only did the Handcuff Man exist, but there were people in Atlanta who knew his name, including members of the police force.
—Longreads, 4 Apr. 2024
The police force needs new leadership to function effectively and collaborate with international forces.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
The police force is struggling to stave off an insurrection by heavily armed gangs.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Fourth man facing murder charge in killing of Oakland cop, despite bid to plead guilty on burglary charges
Lau, who joined the Menlo Park police force in January, claims he was wrongly accused of ordering a subordinate Oakland officer, Sgt.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'police force.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1820, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near police force
Cite this Entry
“Police force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/police%20force. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Kids Definition
police force
noun
: a body of officers trained and entrusted by a government to keep public peace, enforce laws, and prevent and detect crime
Legal Definition
police force
noun
: a body of trained officers entrusted by a government with maintenance of public peace and order, enforcement of laws, and prevention and detection of crime
More from Merriam-Webster on police force
Britannica English: Translation of police force for Arabic Speakers
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