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 The United States still trains more Latin American police officers than does Beijing. — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026 The case in Texas, for instance, involved a protester shooting a local police officer, who survived. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 But the court ruled in a unanimous decision that all statements made in front of a police officer in the hospital room cannot be used at trial because her confession was protected under doctor-patient confidentiality, People reported. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The officer who fired, a Twin Falls police officer, is being reviewed, Hicks said. — Dana Griffin, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for police officer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for police officer

Noun

In 2022, an ex-policeman armed with a gun and knife stormed into a nursery in the country's north and murdered 24 children and 12 adults in one of Thailand's deadliest massacres.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
People began rioting in Los Angeles’ predominantly Black Watts neighborhood after a crowd watched White policemen forcefully subdue a Black man.

— USA Today, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of policeman

Noun

Members of the Montreal City Police Department found the weapon, a Glock 26, on August 30, 2024, when officers raided a home in relation to a kidnapping investigation, court records show.

— Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Banks hired more loan officers, credit analysts, personal bankers, and fraud and risk specialists.

— Adam Schickling, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of officer

Noun

Bad cops are not being fired, and good cops who may be wrongfully accused are stuck in professional purgatory.

— Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
On Monday, 21-year-old Javid Edwin, accompanied by a lawyer, surrendered at the 50th Precinct stationhouse and was charged with murder, manslaughter and weapon possession, cops said.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of cop

Noun

Thompson alerted a town administrator and special constable named Sherise Fountain, who went to investigate.

— Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Authorities offered their sympathies to McKnight’s family, everyone at the constable’s office, and those who knew and loved him.

— Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of police officer

noun

Example Sentences

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