policeman

noun

po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio)
1
: a member of a police force
2
: one held to resemble a policeman
making the United States the policeman for the whole wide worldR. B. Long

Examples of policeman in a Sentence

reported the crime to the nearest policeman
Recent Examples on the Web The policeman denied the accusations about the letter. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Aug. 2024 Outside Parliament, a small cluster of policemen were dawdling on the sidewalk. Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024 Our protagonist, bumbling policeman Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won), becomes invested in stopping the outbreak when his daughter, Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee), suddenly becomes possessed. Travis Bean, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024 When the Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was recently jostled by Miami-Dade policemen, reliably, Walsh was there to break down the footage and show you how the whole thing was Hill’s fault. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for policeman 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'policeman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of policeman was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near policeman

Cite this Entry

“Policeman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policeman. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

policeman

noun
po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlē-smən How to pronounce policeman (audio)

Medical Definition

policeman

noun
po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio)
plural policemen -mən How to pronounce policeman (audio)
: an instrument (as a flat piece of rubber on a glass rod) for removing solids from a vessel (as a beaker)

More from Merriam-Webster on policeman

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