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

Since Duterte left office in 2022, only eight policemen had been convicted for five of the victims killed in the war on drugs, according to court documents. —Zahid Mahmood, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025

For the first time in decades, a President is not only questioning why we’re involved in specific armed conflicts but also the fundamental role of America as the world’s policeman. —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025

The Observatory gave the death toll on both sides, while an anonymous local Damascus official only gave the numbers of policemen killed. —Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2025

In 2009, militants opened fire on Sri Lanka's national team in Lahore, killing eight people — mostly Pakistani policemen. —Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Mar. 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)