constable

noun

con·​sta·​ble ˈkän(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce constable (audio) ˈkən(t)- How to pronounce constable (audio)
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

Examples of constable in a Sentence

reported the crime to the local constable
Recent Examples on the Web Leon Valley Police, Bexar County Sheriff's deputies and Precinct 2 constables surrounded him and took him into custody without incident. Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Sep. 2024 Investigators examine the scene where authorities say a Texas deputy constable was fatally shot at a Houston intersection while driving to work on Sept. 3, 2024. CBS News, 3 Sep. 2024 Each court has one justice of the peace and one constable. Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 30 July 2024 The victim, who is from Upper Leacock Township, WGAL reported, is also a constable, according to a news release from the Lancaster County Constable Association. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for constable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'constable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of constable was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near constable

const

constable

Constable

Cite this Entry

“Constable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constable. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

constable

noun
con·​sta·​ble ˈkän(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce constable (audio) ˈkən(t)- How to pronounce constable (audio)
1
: a high officer of a royal court or noble household in the Middle Ages
2
: the person in charge of a royal castle or a town
3
: a police officer usually of a village or small town
Etymology

Middle English conestable "chief military or police officer of a court or royal domain," from early French conestable (same meaning), from Latin comes stabuli, literally, "officer of the stables," from comes "companion, member of a royal court" and stabuli, genitive of stabulum "stable" — related to count entry 3, stable entry 1

Word Origin
A constable in the Middle Ages was a very important official in a court, even though the title meant "officer of the stable." Early French conestable came from the Latin phrase comes stabuli, meaning "officer of the stable." Being in charge of a ruler's horses in those days was something like being in charge of all the vehicles—tanks, trucks, airplanes, helicopters—of a modern army. As time went on, the title remained, but it came to describe the person in charge of guarding a castle or fortified city. From this idea came the modern sense: "a police officer."

Legal Definition

constable

noun
con·​sta·​ble ˈkän-stə-bəl, ˈkən- How to pronounce constable (audio)
: a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties
Etymology

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

Biographical Definition

Constable

biographical name

Con·​sta·​ble ˈkən(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce Constable (audio)
ˈkän(t)-
John 1776–1837 English painter

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