constable

noun con·sta·ble \ ˈkän(t)-stə-bəl , ˈkən(t)- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of constable

1 : a high officer of a royal court or noble household especially in the Middle Ages

2 : the warden or governor of a royal castle or a fortified town

3 a : a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties

b chiefly British : police officer; especially : one ranking below sergeant

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Examples of constable in a Sentence

reported the crime to the local constable

Recent Examples of constable from the Web

The park constables were apparently panic struck, and incapable of acting.

— Longreads, "Where Have You Hidden the Cholera?," 5 Apr. 2018
Werbner recommended that, in the future, Tolland also add two constables, in order to cover vacations and other times when troopers are not able to be on duty.

— steve smith, Courant Community, "Tolland Town Manager Presents Budget," 3 Apr. 2018
Haines told Dateline that there was no record of the constable reporting Carey Mae’s case.

— juliet muir, NBC News, "Misfiled case of Carey Mae Parker remains under investigation 27 years later," 31 Mar. 2018
The constable did not return a message left at a phone listing for him.

— CBS News, "Body camera videos shows volunteer officer shooting at driver in South Carolina," 29 Mar. 2018
Clements will likely decide whether to charge the constable once the State Law Enforcement Division investigation into the shooting is finished.

— Fox News, "Volunteer constable shoots black motorist in South Carolina," 27 Mar. 2018
Before returning to Cypresswood, the Klein ISD Police Department had housed the constable's office dispatch center.

— mayra cruz, Houston Chronicle, "Staff returning to northwest Harris County courthouse, constable's office after Harvey," 28 Feb. 2018
Many, including Winiata who is also a police constable, had no choice but to work other jobs.

— CNN, "New Zealand: Women's Rugby World Cup winners awarded pro contracts," 12 Mar. 2018
But in his tiny, rural Texas community of Agua Dulce — where there is no local police department and official help from county constables can be far away — training some staff to respond to a school shooting is a practical matter.

— lori higgins, Detroit Free Press, "A warning to potential shooters: These schools are armed," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'constable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of constable

Middle English conestable, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally, officer of the stable

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Constable

biographical name Con·sta·ble \ ˈkən(t)-stə-bəl , ˈkän(t)- \

Definition of Constable

John 1776–1837 English painter

CONSTABLE Defined for English Language Learners

constable

noun

Definition of constable for English Language Learners

: a public official whose job is similar to that of a police officer but who is elected or appointed rather than hired

CONSTABLE Defined for Kids

constable

noun con·sta·ble \ ˈkän-stə-bəl , ˈkən- \

Definition of constable for Students

: a police officer usually of a village or small town

Law Dictionary

constable

noun con·sta·ble \ ˈkän-stə-bəl, ˈkən- \

legal Definition of constable

: a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties

Origin and Etymology of constable

Old French conestable military commander, chief of the royal household, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally, officer of the stable

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Spanish Central: Translation of constable Nglish: Translation of constable for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of constable for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about constable

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constable

Definition of constable

Examples of constable in a Sentence

Recent Examples of constable from the Web

Origin and Etymology of constable

Constable

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CONSTABLE Defined for English Language Learners

constable

Definition of constable for English Language Learners

CONSTABLE Defined for Kids

constable

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constable

legal Definition of constable

Origin and Etymology of constable

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