Translate police | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of police
noun
(treated as plural, usually the police) the civil force of a national or local government, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order. members of a police force:there are fewer women police than men [with modifier] an organization engaged in the enforcement of official regulations in a specified domain:transit police figurative humorousthe fashion police
verb
[with object] (often as noun policing) (of a police force) have the duty of maintaining law and order in or for (an area or event). enforce regulations or an agreement in (a particular area or domain):a UN resolution to use military force to police the no-fly zone enforce the provisions of (a law, agreement, or treaty):the regulations will be policed by factory inspectors maintain order and neatness in (an area, as a military camp).
