police

Meanings

Noun

• A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintaining public order.
• A police officer.
• People who seek to enforce norms or standards.
• The duty of cleaning up.
• Policy.
• Communal living; civilization.
• The regulation of a given community or society; administration, law and order etc.

Verb

• To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
• To clean up an area.
• To enforce norms or standards upon.

Origin

• From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa ("state, government"), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία. policy, and polity.