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

In Good Cop/Bad Cop, Cook and Leighton Meester play an estranged brother and sister, Henry and Lou, who have to sort through their differences after becoming partners in their small Pacific Northwest police force, which is run by their chief-of-police father Big Hank Hickman (Clancy Brown). —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2026

On streets across the country, Americans are putting their own bodies on the line to impede the operations of a federal police force in their city. —Alessandra Schade, Time, 14 Feb. 2026

Murphy pressed Wooster about the role of the firm, and whether there are other private military companies being contracted by the Haitian police force or by the Haitian government. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026

For now, there are no formal plans for Tucker City Hall to debate the formation of a city police force. —Monique John, CBS News, 10 Feb. 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