Meaning & use

police

noun·Everyday

The official organization responsible for enforcing laws, maintaining public order, and preventing crime.

See it in a sentence

The police arrived within minutes of the alarm being triggered.

Local police are investigating a series of burglaries in the neighborhood.

A note on using this word

Police is a plural noun in English, as in 'the police are', even though it refers to a single organization.

Words with a similar meaning

law enforcementauthorities

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To maintain law and order in an area, or to monitor and enforce rules within a group.

Volunteers helped police the crowd during the busy festival weekend.

Make it your own

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