police officer

noun

Definition of police officernext
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

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 My family includes police officers, a bomb squad member, and veterans who fought terrorism overseas. — Eric "doc" Stelnicki, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026 Espinosa, 42, had worked as a police officer in Nassau County since 2017. — Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026 He was subdued by federal agents and police officers moments later. — Alex Nitzberg , Peter D'abrosca , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026 Last year, as ICE was ramping up its hiring spree, the agency specifically sought military veterans and current and former police officers. — Curt Devine, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for police officer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for police officer
  1. policeman
  2. officer
  3. cop
  4. constable
Noun
  • Sugar’s purpose in this earthly life — to reunite lost families in the City of Angels — is crumbling under the maddening impossibility of convicting a policeman of a crime in a world where the crime is the point.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • The movie focuses on a murder of a shepherd unraveled by his flock, which aids a somewhat hapless rural policeman in solving the crime.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 July 2026
Definition of policeman
Noun
  • When officers approached the vehicle, the man pulled a handgun and officers fired on him, Garcia said.
    — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2026
  • That evening, midnight-shift officers spotted the animal trotting on a residential street in the area and slowly pursued it in a patrol vehicle, some of which was shown in a short video clip the police department posted on social media Friday.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 July 2026
Definition of officer
Noun
  • Then Nia fell in love, got dumped, had the cops called on her in a confrontation with her boyfriend—and produced her most heart-stopping work to date.
    — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
  • Investigators pulled bodycam footage from other cops who had been in the room.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026
Definition of cop
Noun
  • The woman was able to flee the scene and located deputy constables.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Definition of constable

Browse Nearby Words

policemen
police officer
police officers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Police officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police%20officer. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on police officer

Nglish: Translation of police officer for Spanish Speakers

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