policeman

noun

po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlēs-mən 

1

: a member of a police force

2

: one held to resemble a policeman

making the United States the policeman for the whole wide world

—R. B. Long

Synonyms

• bobby [British]
• bull [slang]
• constable [chiefly British]
• cop
• copper
• flatfoot [slang]
• fuzz
• gendarme
• lawman
• officer
• police officer
• shamus [slang]

Examples of policeman in a Sentence

reported the crime to the nearest policeman

Recent Examples on the Web

The killers included white policemen, sheriffs, businessmen, even a legislator—all part of the Jim Crow system aimed at disenfranchising Black voters. —Essence, 10 Mar. 2025

Johnson further sent a thousand military policemen and two thousand Army troops to escort the march. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

In the final flashback, Mark is greeted at the door by policemen. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025

The Devil’s Own, centering on an Irish American policeman (Harrison Ford) and IRA extremist (Brad Pitt). —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for policeman

• policemen

Kids Definition

policeman

noun

po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlē-smən 

: police officer

Medical Definition

policeman

noun

po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlēs-mən 

plural policemen -mən 

: an instrument (as a flat piece of rubber on a glass rod) for removing solids from a vessel (as a beaker)