police
/pə'li:s/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A civil force responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing laws, and preventing and detecting crime: The "police" refers to the organized body of officers empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder.
- (Used with a plural verb) The members of such a force: "Police" can also refer to the individual officers collectively.
Verb:
- To control, regulate, or keep order in (a place or event) using the police or a similar authority: This involves maintaining security and enforcing rules.
- To make (something, especially an area or activity) orderly and compliant with rules: This broader sense means to supervise and ensure proper conduct.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The police arrived quickly at the scene of the accident.
- Local police are investigating the robbery.
- He decided to call the police.
Verb:
- The stadium was heavily policed during the championship game.
- The government pledged to police the new regulations effectively.
- It is difficult to police such a vast border region.
Advanced Usage
"to police oneself": To regulate one's own behavior or the behavior of one's own group according to accepted standards.
- The industry has promised to police itself to avoid government intervention.
"community policing": A strategy of policing that focuses on building ties and working closely with members of the community.
- The new chief implemented a community policing model.
Variants and Related Words
- Policeman/Policewoman (n): A male or female member of a police force. (Note: "Police officer" is now more common as a gender-neutral term).
- Policing (n): The activity of controlling and maintaining order, especially by a police force.
- The policing of major events requires careful planning.
- Police force (n): The police organization of a particular country or area.
Synonyms
- Law enforcement (n): The generic term for agencies and personnel responsible for enforcing laws.
- Constabulary (n): A formal word for a police force, especially in specific regions.
- Patrol (v): As a verb, to keep watch over an area, which is a key police function.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Police up (v): (Informal, military/police jargon) To clean up an area, to remove debris or unwanted items.
- After the demonstration, the crew was sent to police up the park.
Related Idioms
Police state: A country where the government uses the police, especially a secret police, to strictly control people's lives and limit their freedom.
- Critics accused the regime of creating a police state.
To run a tight ship: (Not directly about police) An idiom meaning to manage something in a very strict and orderly way, similar to the verb sense of "to police."
- The new manager polices the office like she's running a tight ship.
Noun
- the force of policemen and officers
- the law came looking for him
Verb
- maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol