posse

/'pɔsi/

Thân thiện

The sheriff gathered a posse to search the nearby hills.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A temporary police force: A group of people, typically civilians, who are mobilized by a sheriff or other law enforcement officer to assist in maintaining order, pursuing a criminal, or performing a specific task.
   • A group of people with a common purpose: By extension, any group of people gathered together for a specific, often informal, purpose or activity.

Usage

• The primary use of "posse" is in a law enforcement context, referring to a group assembled to aid an officer. In modern informal usage, it often refers to one's close group of friends or associates.
• It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Law Enforcement Context:
  • The sheriff formed a posse to track down the escaped convicts.
  • In the Old West, a posse was often formed from local volunteers.
• Informal/Modern Context:
  • She arrived at the party with her whole posse.
  • He's always surrounded by his posse of close friends.

Advanced Usage

• "in posse": A legal or philosophical term from Latin, meaning "in potential" or "possibly," as opposed to "in esse" (in actuality). This is a specialized usage distinct from the common noun.
  • The rights exist in posse, waiting to be claimed.

Variants and Related Words

• Posse comitatus (n): A Latin term meaning "the force of the county," referring to the common-law authority of a sheriff to summon civilians for assistance. This is the historical and legal origin of the modern word "posse."
  • The sheriff invoked the power of posse comitatus.

Synonyms

• Band: A group of people with a common purpose.
• Crew: A group of people who work together or associate with one another.
• Gang: A group of friends or a group of people involved in criminal activity (note: "gang" can have negative connotations).
• Squad: A small group of people organized for a specific task.

Related Phrases

• To form/raise a posse: To assemble a group for assistance, especially in law enforcement.
  • The marshal needed to raise a posse quickly.
• Ride with a posse: To participate as a member of such a group.
  • He volunteered to ride with the posse.

Idioms

• Posse of friends: An informal idiom describing one's close circle of friends.
  • Wherever she goes, her posse of friends is sure to follow.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a temporary police force

Từ đồng nghĩa

• posse comitatus