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policeman

noun
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po·​lice·​man | \ pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio) \

Definition of policeman

1 : a member of a police force
2 : one held to resemble a policeman making the United States the policeman for the whole wide world— R. B. Long
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Synonyms for policeman

Synonyms

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Examples of policeman in a Sentence

reported the crime to the nearest policeman
Recent Examples on the Web Another policeman had shot another Black man — this time a 29-year-old father of six, Jacob Blake. — Sam Anderson, New York Times, "What I Learned Inside the N.B.A. Bubble," 30 Sep. 2020 The violence and destruction began after a policeman shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, whom law enforcement was trying to apprehend. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Maryland governor fires staffer who praised Kenosha protest shooter on social media," 29 Aug. 2020 From the third floor of a brownstone in uptown Minneapolis, Stancil watched some of his city burn earlier this year after George Floyd died under a policeman’s knee. — Washington Post, "November may be the darkest month Americans have seen in a long time," 28 Sep. 2020 Police in dozens of cities have used teargas as a crowd dispersant since George Floyd died under a policeman’s knee in Minneapolis on May 25. — Matt Sledge, NOLA.com, "This New Orleans proposal would restrict -- but not ban -- police use of tear gas," 10 Sep. 2020 The president traveled to the Wisconsin city on Tuesday to survey damage from protests that erupted after Blake was shot several time by a policeman in the back. — Karen Ho, Quartz, "Trump is forgetting Kenosha’s Black community," 1 Sep. 2020 The racial composition of corporate America has received new scrutiny in recent months after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, under the knee of a white policeman in Minneapolis. — Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, "Landmark bill in California would require diversity in corporate boardrooms," 31 Aug. 2020 But Lance Northcutt, a lawyer for Baldwin's family, said no swimming was required and that a policeman's baton or a branch would have been lifesaving tool. — NBC News, "Family of Tennessee drowning victim accuse police of failing to help him," 12 June 2020 Columbo/Comfort TV Imagine a cop show where the policeman never carries a gun. — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, "The best TV shows of 2020… so far," 1 July 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'policeman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of policeman

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Time Traveler for policeman

Time Traveler

The first known use of policeman was in 1788

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Statistics for policeman

Last Updated

13 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Policeman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policeman. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for policeman

policeman

noun
How to pronounce policeman (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of policeman

: a man who is a police officer

See the full definition for policeman in the English Language Learners Dictionary

policeman

noun
po·​lice·​man | \ pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio) \
plural policemen\ -​mən \

Kids Definition of policeman

: a man who is a police officer

policeman

noun
po·​lice·​man | \ pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio) \
plural policemen\ -​mən How to pronounce policemen (audio) \

Medical Definition of policeman

: an instrument (as a flat piece of rubber on a glass rod) for removing solids from a vessel (as a beaker)

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More from Merriam-Webster on policeman

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for policeman

Nglish: Translation of policeman for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of policeman for Arabic Speakers

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