police procedural

noun

plural police procedurals

: a mystery story written from the point of view of the police investigating the crime

Examples of police procedural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Viewers of that great police procedural TV show Blue Lights about three probationary officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the senior officers who train them will immediately recognize that line as the guiding mantra of Gerry Cliff. —

Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026 Nearly all of the pilots NBC has ordered this winter have a police procedural bent. —

Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026 The actors, who have portrayed Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen on the ABC series since its debut in 2018, recently spoke with PEOPLE about the police procedural’s eighth season. —

Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026 His first major role onscreen was on the CBS police procedural drama Cagney & Lacey in 1987, and went on to make guest appearances in many series before his major breakout on The Wire. —

Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for police procedural

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of police procedural was in 1963

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Browse Nearby Words

police power

police procedural

police reporter

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Police procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/police%20procedural. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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