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 second Trump administration looks set to entirely do away the role of world policeman, and cynics might say, replace it with the role for rent collector. —Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

His son Flávio had been found to be paying a salary to the wife and the mother of a fugitive policeman who was wanted for running a murder-for-hire operation. —Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

The National Police Office will fully take care of the benefits and welfare of the families of the 5 brave policemen. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025

To date, only eight policemen had been convicted for five drug war deaths, according to court documents. —Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 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)