POLICE OFFICER Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

police officer

noun

Definition of police officer

as in policeman

a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level there were police officers directing traffic around the scene of the accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

civilian

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of police officer In February, a federal jury in Rochester, New York, awarded $125,000 to a father and daughter after a city police officer fatally shot their dog, News10NBC reported. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Federal police officers, called to the scene, detained the suspect right after the stabbing. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 The simple-to-use app is designed for San Diegans to report alleged misconduct by police officers so that Pillars of the Community can help those individuals file misconduct complaints. — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 In August 2025, he was charged with four felonies after allegedly attacking police officers while walking naked through the streets of Los Angeles. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for police officer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for police officer

Noun

Thaksin Shinawatra, the larger-than-life former policeman and telecom billionaire, built up enormous power as prime minister in the early 2000s, incurring the disdain of royalists.

— Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026
You’ll be attacked in the street for that, the policeman appeared to be telling him.

— Ledio Cakaj, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of policeman

Noun

The department said officers found a male victim and started life-saving measures until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived.

— Matthew Ablon, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
The guillotine was in the bed of a pickup truck spotted near the Capitol and the Supreme Court, where, officers said, it was illegally parked.

— Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of officer

Noun

Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
In the years since Shakur's murder, what exactly happened in that hail of bullets -- and who pulled the trigger -- was obscured by a lack of physical evidence, feuding cops and the gangland code of silence.

— Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of cop

Noun

Jenna Ziviani, a constable at the police station, helped deliver Lyla while receiving guidance from an ambulance officer on the phone.

— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Thompson alerted a town administrator and special constable named Sherise Fountain, who went to investigate.

— Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of constable

Browse Nearby Words

policemen

police officer

police officers

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Police officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police%20officer. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of police officer

noun

Example Sentences

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