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

Relevance

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 Most of the dead were counterterrorism police officers, as seven attackers tried to storm the Kohat facility, sparking hours of gunfire and a suicide blast at an intelligence office. — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026 An Arlington police officer fatally shot a man who moved toward him with a knife late Thursday, officials said. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026 The movements that arose out of the deaths of Black people at the hands of largely white police officers and the systematic abuse of women by powerful men were hallmarks of 21st-century progressive thinking. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026 On Tuesday, Montgomery County police officers were called to a hospital where an underage teen girl reported a rape. — Louis Casiano , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for police officer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for police officer

Noun

There was a group of them, policemen, and then there was a priest with them.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
With a policeman in charge of the program, there’s no more off-the-field games being played — only hard work trying to get back to the top.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of policeman

Noun

During Thursday's hearing, Judge Paul Scoggin granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro bond.

— TIM SULLIVAN, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Less than two weeks after departing the Kansas City Current, former head coach and sporting director Vlatko Andonovski is set to take over the last-place Chicago Stars as the fellow National Women’s Soccer League club’s chief soccer officer.

— PJ Green September 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of officer

Noun

Glass is no stranger to such responsibilities after serving as the top cop at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the past four and half years while leading the agency’s directives and missions.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Police officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/police%20officer. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of police officer

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nemesis

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes