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

• 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

Trump seized control of DC’s police force and deployed 800 National Guard troops to bolster law enforcement − despite a declining crime rate in the capital in 2024 and 2025 − and relocate homeless people. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025

Under the agreement, the Trump administration retains control of the police force. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025

The Washington Post | Getty Images Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday challenging President Donald Trump’s unprecedented takeover of the U.S. capital city’s police force. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2025

The city’s police force has been federalized, but Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District of Columbia Council remain in control of the district’s policies. —Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2025

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