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 of police force

• police
• constabulary

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

The White House federalized Washington’s police force, deployed National Guard troops from six states and the federal district across the capital’s streets and surged federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security into neighborhoods. —Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026

Hundreds of onlookers gathered on the central Piazza della Repubblica, protected by several Italian police forces, to pay their respects to the couturier after a two-day wake concluded the evening before. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026

Sergeant released from hospital Silva, a 13-year-veteran of the San Jose police force, was released Thursday from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026

According to the San Antonio Express-News, Gonzales had SWAT training and was the instructor for active shooter training for the Uvalde school district's police force. —Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for police force

• bourse
• coarse
• course
• gorse
• hoarse
• horse
• norse
• source
• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce

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