police

A2 Topic:Law & Government

US /pəˈliːs/ See IPA manual

Freq #342

Meanings

1

noun
The official organization, and its members, whose job is to keep order, prevent crime, and make sure people obey the law.

Someone called the police after the robbery.
2

verb
To keep order and control in a place or group.

Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.
3

verb
To make sure that rules or standards are followed.

It is hard to police what people post online.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

babylon bacon billboydemconstabulary dibbleecilopesclopfedsfilthfive-ofuzz

Word family

Forms policedpolicespolicing

Derived forms antipolicecounterpolicecyberpolicedepolicefanpolftphyperpoliceinterpolnonpoliceoverpoliceparapolicepawlice

Related forms authority beat manor patch policy polis politic political politically politicianpoliticisationpoliticise

Etymology

From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.

police Middle French polītīa Latin πολιτεία Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

External links

# police

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /pəˈliːs/
**Frequency rank:** 342

## Meanings
1. The official organization, and its members, whose job is to keep order, prevent crime, and make sure people obey the law.
2. To keep order and control in a place or group.
3. To make sure that rules or standards are followed.

## Examples
- Someone called the police after the robbery.
- Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.
- It is hard to police what people post online.

## Synonyms
- babylon
- bacon
- bill
- boydem
- constabulary
- dibble
- ecilop
- esclop
- feds
- filth
- five-o
- fuzz

## Derived Forms
- antipolice
- counterpolice
- cyberpolice
- depolice
- fanpol
- ftp
- hyperpolice
- interpol
- nonpolice
- overpolice
- parapolice
- pawlice

## Related Forms
- authority
- beat
- manor
- patch
- policy
- polis
- politic
- political
- politically
- politician
- politicisation
- politicise

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: police
- Root: polītīa
- Root: πολιτεία

## Etymology
From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.

## AI Etymology
Police comes from Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity. The historical chain includes police (Middle French), polītīa (Latin), πολιτεία (Ancient Greek). In present-day English it covers the official organization, and its members, whose job is to keep order, prevent crime, and make sure people obey the law, to keep order and control in a place or group, and to make sure that rules or standards are followed. The wider family includes derived forms such as antipolice, counterpolice, cyberpolice, depolice, fanpol and related forms such as authority, beat, manor, patch.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Crime & Justice

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police

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