police

See also: Police, poliçe, policé, and policë

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Middle French#POLICE police, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#POLICE polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient GreekCategory:English terms derived from Ancient Greek#POLICE πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy and polityCategory:English doublets#POLICE.

Pronunciation

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

police pl (normally plural, singular police)Category:English lemmas#POLICECategory:English nouns#POLICECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:English pluralia tantum#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  2. (law enforcementCategory:en:Law enforcement#POLICE) A public agency charged with enforcing laws and maintaining public order, usually being granted special privileges to do so, particularly [from 18th c.]
    • 1943, Charles Reith, British Police and the Democratic Ideal, pp. 3–4:
      There are nine Principles of Police:
      ...
      7 To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interests of community welfare and existence.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […] ? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
    • 1990 Sept. 13, David Black & al., "Prescription for Death", Law & Order, 00:00:01:
      In the criminal justice system, the People are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel Station: Citadel Security Services (C-Sec) Codex entry:
      Citadel Security is a volunteer police service answering to the Citadel Council. The 200,000 constables of C-Sec are responsible for maintaining public order in the densely populated Citadel.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
    • 2019 August 11, Mike Ives, “Hong Kong Protesters Gather Amid Fears of Mob Violence”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 August 2019‎:
      The rally on Sunday in Victoria Park, in the Causeway Bay district, was authorized in advance by the police. But protesters were also expected to begin marching later in the day from Sham Shui Po, a working-class neighborhood on the Kowloon peninsula, across the harbor from North Point. The police rejected their application for a permit.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
    Call the police!
    Category:English terms with usage examples#POLICE
    1. (Canada, USCategory:Canadian English#POLICECategory:American English#POLICE and historicalCategory:English terms with historical senses#POLICE) A department of local (usually municipal) government responsible for general law enforcement.
      The Cook County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction across most of Chicago but focuses on the unincorporated area and tasks like prisoner transport, leaving the rest to the Chicago Police Department.
      Category:English terms with usage examples#POLICE
    2. (UKCategory:British English#POLICE) A branch of the Home Office responsible for general law enforcement within a specific territory.
      Scotland Yard is, technically speaking, only the metropolitan police for Greater London but because of their importance they have special jurisdiction for some crimes across the United Kingdom.
      Category:English terms with usage examples#POLICE
    3. (AustraliaCategory:Australian English#POLICE, New ZealandCategory:New Zealand English#POLICE) Any of the formally enacted law enforcement agencies at various levels of government.
  3. (usually plural onlyCategory:English pluralia tantum#POLICE) The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regionalCategory:Regional English#POLICE, chiefly USCategory:American English#POLICE, CaribbeanCategory:Caribbean English#POLICE, JamaicaCategory:Jamaican English#POLICE, ScotlandCategory:Scottish English#POLICE, countableCategory:English countable nouns#POLICE) an individual police officer. [from 19th c.]
  4. (figuratively, usually ironic and mildly derogatoryCategory:English derogatory terms#POLICE) People who try to enforce norms or standards as if granted authority similar to the police.
    Who called the fashion police?
    Category:English terms with usage examples#POLICE
  5. (militaryCategory:en:Military#POLICE, slangCategory:English slang#POLICE) Cleanup of a military facility, as a formal duty.
    • 1907, Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate, concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Tex. on the Night of August 13 and 14, 1906, volume 2:
      Q. […] What did you do that day? — A. I was cleaning up around quarters.
      Q. You had been on guard and went on police duty? You were policing, cleaning up around the barracks? — A. Yes, sir.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
      Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned
  6. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#POLICE, now rareCategory:English terms with rare senses#POLICE) Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society. [from 17th c.]
  7. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#POLICE) Alternative form of policy. [15th–19th c.]
  8. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#POLICE) Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community. [16th–19th c.]

Usage notes

  • In North America and the UK, local police are generally distinguished from regional, national, and specialized law enforcement officers such as sheriffs, marshals, bailiffs, FBI special agents, and NCA investigators. In Australia and New Zealand and in translation of the law enforcement agencies of other countries, police may refer indiscriminately to law enforcement agencies and officers at any level.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

police (third-person singular simple present polices, present participle policing, simple past and past participle policed)Category:English lemmas#POLICECategory:English verbs#POLICECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#POLICE) To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
    Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.
    Category:English terms with usage examples#POLICE
    • 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club:
      Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
    • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
    • 2021 July 28, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Confusion and dissent over face mask requirements: Reaction to the Guidance: Train operators”, in RAIL, number 936, page 7:
      Train operators were reluctant to speak to RAIL on the record, but one responded: "The unions are rightly very clear that they don't want staff policing face coverings after the removal of legal backing.
      Category:English terms with quotations#POLICE
  2. (ambitransitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#POLICECategory:English intransitive verbs#POLICE, militaryCategory:en:Military#POLICE, slangCategory:English slang#POLICE) To clean up an area.
  3. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#POLICE, figurative) To enforce norms or standards upon.
    to police a person's identity

Derived terms

Anagrams

Category:English pluralia tantum#POLICE Category:en:Organizations#POLICECategory:en:People#POLICE

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old CzechCategory:Czech terms inherited from Old Czech#POLICECategory:Czech terms derived from Old Czech#POLICE policě, from Proto-SlavicCategory:Czech terms inherited from Proto-Slavic#POLICECategory:Czech terms derived from Proto-Slavic#POLICE *polica. By surface analysis, půl +‎ -iceCategory:Czech terms suffixed with -ice#POLICE.

Pronunciation

Noun

police fCategory:Czech lemmas#POLICECategory:Czech nouns#POLICECategory:Czech entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Czech feminine nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. shelf (a structure)

Declension

Declension of police (soft feminine)
singular plural
nominative police police
genitive police polic
dative polici policím
accusative polici police
vocative police police
locative polici policích
instrumental policí policemi
Category:Czech soft feminine nouns#POLICE

Derived terms

Further reading

Category:cs:Furniture#POLICE

Danish

Etymology

Via Middle FrenchCategory:Danish terms borrowed from Middle French#POLICECategory:Danish terms derived from Middle French#POLICE police and ItalianCategory:Danish terms derived from Italian#POLICE polizza from Ancient GreekCategory:Danish terms derived from Ancient Greek#POLICE ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “proof”).

Pronunciation

Noun

police c (singular definite policen, plural indefinite policer)Category:Danish lemmas#POLICECategory:Danish nouns#POLICECategory:Danish terms spelled with C#POLICECategory:Danish entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Danish common-gender nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. policy (an insurance contract)

Declension

Declension of police
common
gender		 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative police policen policer policerne
genitive polices policens policers policernes

French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:French terms borrowed from Late Latin#POLICECategory:French terms derived from Late Latin#POLICE polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient GreekCategory:French terms derived from Ancient Greek#POLICE πολιτεία (politeía).

Noun

police f (plural polices)Category:French lemmas#POLICECategory:French nouns#POLICECategory:French countable nouns#POLICECategory:French entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:French feminine nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. police
    Coordinate terms: gendarmerie, sûreté
    Fuyez, la police arrive ! ― Run, the police are coming!Category:French terms with usage examples#POLICE
  2. (QuebecCategory:Quebec French#POLICE, colloquialCategory:French colloquialisms#POLICE) cop (police officer)
    Synonyms: flic, gendarme, keuf, policier
Derived terms
Descendants

Etymology 2

Borrowed from ItalianCategory:French terms borrowed from Italian#POLICECategory:French terms derived from Italian#POLICE polizza.

Noun

police f (plural polices)Category:French lemmas#POLICECategory:French nouns#POLICECategory:French countable nouns#POLICECategory:French entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:French feminine nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. (insuranceCategory:fr:Insurance#POLICE) policy
    police d'assurance ― insurance policyCategory:French terms with usage examples#POLICE
  2. (typographyCategory:fr:Typography#POLICE) font
    police de caractères ― font familyCategory:French terms with usage examples#POLICE
    police d'écriture ― typefaceCategory:French terms with usage examples#POLICE
Derived terms
Descendants

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

policeCategory:French non-lemma forms#POLICECategory:French verb forms#POLICECategory:French entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. inflection of policer:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

Anagrams

Category:fr:Law enforcement#POLICE

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowed from LatinCategory:Middle French terms borrowed from Latin#POLICECategory:Middle French terms derived from Latin#POLICE politia.

Noun

police f (plural polices)Category:Middle French lemmas#POLICECategory:Middle French nouns#POLICECategory:Middle French entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Middle French feminine nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICECategory:Middle French countable nouns#POLICE

  1. governance; management
    • 1577, Jean d'Ogerolles, Discours sur la contagion de peste qui a esté ceste presente annee en la ville de Lyon, front cover
      contenant les causes d'icelle, l'ordre, moyen et police tenue pour en purger, nettoyer et delivrer la ville (subheading)
      containing the causes, the order, means and management employed to purge, clean and deliver the city
      Category:Middle French terms with quotations#POLICE

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from LatinCategory:Norman terms borrowed from Latin#POLICECategory:Norman terms derived from Latin#POLICE politia.

Noun

police f (uncountable)Category:Norman lemmas#POLICECategory:Norman nouns#POLICECategory:Norman entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Norman feminine nouns#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. (JerseyCategory:Jersey Norman#POLICE) police

Serbo-Croatian

Noun

policeCategory:Serbo-Croatian non-lemma forms#POLICECategory:Serbo-Croatian noun forms#POLICECategory:Serbo-Croatian entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. inflection of polica:
    1. genitive singular
    2. nominative/accusative/vocative plural

Slovak

Pronunciation

Noun

policeCategory:Slovak non-lemma forms#POLICECategory:Slovak noun forms#POLICECategory:Slovak entries with incorrect language header#POLICECategory:Pages with entries#POLICECategory:Pages with 8 entries#POLICE

  1. genitive singular of polica
  2. nominative plural of polica
  3. accusative plural of polica
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