constable

noun

con·​sta·​ble ˈkän(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce constable (audio) ˈkən(t)- How to pronounce constable (audio)
1
: a high officer of a royal court or noble household especially in the Middle Ages
2
: the warden or governor of a royal castle or a fortified town
3
a
: a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties
b
chiefly British : police officer
especially : one ranking below sergeant

Examples of constable in a Sentence

reported the crime to the local constable
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A number of other Texas First Pledge signatories were elected to other offices, including Atascosa County constable, Brazos County commissioner and Smith County commissioner. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024 Gleason, 59, was running for his second term against Lindemann, a 58-year-old county constable for three years who had served 28 years in the Texas Department of Public Safety. Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Nov. 2024 The arrest is the latest legal trouble against Hatch, who faces numerous charges following an extensive investigation by police into the constable’s office that also saw numerous deputy constables arrested. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Oct. 2024 The Statesman's examination of dispatch logs revealed that county constables have been providing overnight and weekend protection to Garza’s home since February — a security force mobilized within days of the posting of his address on social media. Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for constable 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conestable, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally, officer of the stable

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of constable was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near constable

const

constable

Constable

Cite this Entry

“Constable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constable. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

constable

noun
con·​sta·​ble ˈkän(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce constable (audio) ˈkən(t)- How to pronounce constable (audio)
1
: a high officer of a royal court or noble household in the Middle Ages
2
: the person in charge of a royal castle or a town
3
: a police officer usually of a village or small town
Etymology

Middle English conestable "chief military or police officer of a court or royal domain," from early French conestable (same meaning), from Latin comes stabuli, literally, "officer of the stables," from comes "companion, member of a royal court" and stabuli, genitive of stabulum "stable" — related to count entry 3, stable entry 1

Word Origin
A constable in the Middle Ages was a very important official in a court, even though the title meant "officer of the stable." Early French conestable came from the Latin phrase comes stabuli, meaning "officer of the stable." Being in charge of a ruler's horses in those days was something like being in charge of all the vehicles—tanks, trucks, airplanes, helicopters—of a modern army. As time went on, the title remained, but it came to describe the person in charge of guarding a castle or fortified city. From this idea came the modern sense: "a police officer."

Legal Definition

constable

noun
con·​sta·​ble ˈkän-stə-bəl, ˈkən- How to pronounce constable (audio)
: a public officer usually of a town or township responsible for keeping the peace and for minor judicial duties
Etymology

Old French conestable military commander, chief of the royal household, from Late Latin comes stabuli, literally, officer of the stable

Biographical Definition

Constable

biographical name

Con·​sta·​ble ˈkən(t)-stə-bəl How to pronounce Constable (audio)
ˈkän(t)-
John 1776–1837 English painter

More from Merriam-Webster on constable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!