po·lice (p -l s )n. pl. police 1. The governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of a community, now chiefly the department established to maintain order, enforce the law, and prevent and detect crime. 2. a. A body of persons making up such a department, trained in methods of law enforcement and crime prevention and detection and authorized to maintain the peace, safety, and order of the community. b. A body of persons having similar organization and function: campus police. Also called police force. 3. (used with a pl. verb) Police officers considered as a group. 4. Regulation and control of the affairs of a community, especially with respect to maintenance of order, law, health, morals, safety, and other matters affecting the public welfare. 5. Informal A group that admonishes, cautions, or reminds: grammar police; fashion police. 6. a. The cleaning of a military base or other military area: Police of the barracks must be completed before inspection. b. The soldiers assigned to a specified maintenance duty. tr.v. po·liced, po·lic·ing, po·lic·es 1. To regulate, control, or keep in order with or as if with a law enforcement agency. 2. To make (a military area, for example) neat in appearance: policed the barracks. [French, from Old French policie, civil organization, from Late Latin pol  ta, from Latin, the State, from Greek polteia, from polts, citizen, from polis, city; see pel-3 in Indo-European roots.]po·lice a·ble adj.po·lic er n. |
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