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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Graveyard is a Turkish police procedural that focuses on cases of violence against women. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 Hargitay has starred as Detective Olivia Benson in the police procedural since its premiere in 1999 and became an executive producer in 2016. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Most recently, Fillion has starred in the police procedural The Rookie since 2018 and is set to reprise his role as Guy in Man of Tomorrow. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 As part of the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination is well known to the general public thanks to years of legal and police procedural shows on television as well as instances of high-profile use in real life. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 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

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

police power

police procedural

police reporter

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Police procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/police%20procedural. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

police procedural

noun

Examples of police procedural in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes