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 incident hit a nerve in the city where there has been growing public anger over police violence, including an incident where an off-duty policeman killed a man for allegedly stealing soap from a market, Reuters reported. —Abel Alvarado, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024

Armed policemen are a common sight in Panama City and tourist areas in particular, are very safe. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

Two days later, Hamas policemen killed 20 gang members accused of stealing humanitarian aid, according to the Gaza Interior Ministry. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2024

As an officer approached the truck, Jacobs allegedly took off and dragged the policeman a short distance before knocking him to the ground, according to police. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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)