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Definition of police
policed
;policing
transitive verb
1 archaic : govern
2 : to control, regulate, or keep in order by use of police
3 : to make clean and put in order
4a : to supervise the operation, execution, or administration of to prevent or detect and prosecute violations of rules and regulationsb : to exercise such supervision over the policies and activities of
5 : to perform the functions of a police force in or over
Explore Merriam-Webster
Examples of police in a Sentence
The officers police the streets for reckless drivers.
The coast is policed by the military.
The international agency polices the development of atomic energy facilities.
Recent Examples of police from the Web
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Policing's deeply-rooted and unjust power structure has left countless innocent people dead.
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The new report, like another last month from The Guardian—which attempted to parse what constituted serious and credible threats of violence against certain groups—provides insight into the difficulty of policing the vast network.
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The challenge of policing political expression is even more complex.
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Google's YouTube also promised to better police its own video content after several advertisers boycotted the site when their ads appeared next to offensive and extremist videos.
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Pro-business governments over the past two decades have also pared back existing regulations, for instance leaving fire code adherence to industry self-policing, rather than government inspectors.
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Separately, Google has quietly started removing a new category of online content — personal medical records — from its search results, a departure from its typically hands-off approach to policing the web.
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Weaver confessed to his mother, and later, to police when his mother brought him to the police station.
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That person reported to police the license plate number of the pickup.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'police'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of police
in sense 1, from Middle French policier, from police conduct of public affairs; in other senses, from 2police
police
Definition of police
police
1a : the internal organization or regulation of a political unit through exercise of governmental powers especially with respect to general comfort, health, morals, safety, or prosperityb : control and regulation of affairs affecting the general order and welfare of any unit or areac : the system of laws for effecting such control
2a : the department of government concerned primarily with maintenance of public order, safety, and health and enforcement of laws and possessing executive, judicial, and legislative powersb : the department of government charged with prevention, detection, and prosecution of public nuisances and crimes
3a : police forceb plural : police officers
4a : a private organization resembling a police force campus policeb plural : the members of a private police organization
5a : the action or process of cleaning and putting in orderb : military personnel detailed to perform this function
6 : one attempting to regulate or censor a specified field or activity the fashion police
Examples of police in a Sentence
Police arrested a man whom they identified as the murderer.
the appearance of a ransom note meant that the teenager's disappearance was now a matter for the police
Recent Examples of police from the Web
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More: Council goes forward with no-confidence vote in police Chief Conrad Williams said that her agency has developed its own response to groups considering Louisville.
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Two police officers, Carrie Lee and Joe Jones, were reportedly responding to a complaint that the DIY water slide one of the dads built for the kids was blocking the road.
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Campus police were told to stand down by President Bridges, according to The Olympian .
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Howard County police have arrested and charged seven people in connection to at least nine burglaries over the past month in Elkridge.
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If a gun is fired in one place during a crime and then used again elsewhere, police are able to link that specific weapon to the two crimes based on the markings found on the shell casings left behind.
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Police found the kidnappers and freed Darlin and several other migrants, who all immediately went to bathe in a local river.
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Schools closed, police barricaded roads, and trains stopped running.
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Two victims told police they were robbed by two men, and the victims fled the residence and called 911, Williams said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'police'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of police
French, from Old French, from Late Latin politia government, administration, from Greek politeia, from politēs citizen, from polis city, state; akin to Sanskrit pur rampart, Lithuanian pilis castle
Other Legal Terms
POLICE Defined for English Language Learners
police
playDefinition of police for English Language Learners
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: to control and keep order in (an area) by the use of police or military forces
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: to control (something) by making sure that rules and regulations are being followed
police
Definition of police for English Language Learners
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: the people or the department of people who enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests
POLICE Defined for Kids
Definition of police for Students
policed
;policing
: to keep order in or among Officers police the city.
Definition of police for Students
police
1 : the department of government that keeps order and enforces law, investigates crimes, and makes arrests
2 police plural : members of a police force
Word Root of police
The Greek word polis, meaning “city” or “community,” and the related word polītēs, meaning “citizen,” give us the roots polis and polit. Words from Greek polis and polītēs have something to do with cities or communities or the citizens who live in them. A metropolis is the most important city in an area. The police are a group that enforces the law so as to protect citizens. Politics is the science and art of governing citizens.
Law Dictionary
police
Legal Definition of police
policed
policing
: to control, regulate, or keep in order especially as an official duty police the area
police
Legal Definition of police
police
1 : the control and regulation of affairs affecting the order and welfare of a political unit and its citizens
2a : the department of a government or other institution that maintains order and safety and enforces laws b : police force c pl : the members of a police force
Learn More about police
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See words that rhyme with police Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for police Spanish Central: Translation of police Nglish: Translation of police for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of police for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about police
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