peace officer

noun

: a civil officer (such as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace

Examples of peace officer in a Sentence

He was arrested for assaulting a peace officer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Seventy-two-year-old Lise Beauchamp, 37-year-old Melany Rinker, also known as Melony Vanderbrink, and 63-year-old Nancy Jancke were each charged with obstruction of a peace officer after failing to give their names and dates of birth. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

He’s been charged with kidnapping, resisting arrest and two counts of assault on a peace officer. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026

The Will County State's Attorney's Office charged Alsaidi with unlawful use of a weapon and obstructing a peace officer. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

Felony charges were later downgraded to misdemeanor charges of obstructing a peace officer and criminal mischief before being dropped altogether last month after Wilhoite was accepted into a diversion program. — ABC News, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

peace officer

noun

: a civil officer (as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace