peace officer

noun

: a civil officer (such as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace

Examples of peace officer in a Sentence

He was arrested for assaulting a peace officer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dasilva and Xiong, seen on campus video fleeing the scene, were also charged with misdemeanors of resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, prosecutors said. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Justin Simmons, 30, is charged with impersonating a peace officer and kidnapping. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025 Washington law requires all peace officers in the state have their immigration status verified and must be American citizens, lawful permanent residents or beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025 Assembly Bill 847 gives oversight commissions, like San Diego County’s Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board and the city of San Diego’s Commission on Police Practices, the same access to peace officer files currently held by prosecutors, grand juries and the state attorney general. Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for peace officer

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peace officer was in 1649

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peace officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peace%20officer. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

peace officer

noun
: a civil officer (as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace

More from Merriam-Webster on peace officer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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