policeman

noun

po·​lice·​man pə-ˈlēs-mən How to pronounce policeman (audio)
Synonyms of policemannext
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

Examples of policeman in a Sentence

reported the crime to the nearest policeman
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The cars slid backward and would have dropped through the opening made by the raising to the abutment of the bridge if policemen had not attracted the attention of the bridge tender by firing their revolvers. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026 At the beginning of the siege, Ihor became a volunteer policeman, tasked with keeping order in a city that was becoming more lawless by the day. James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026 To be honest, this risk goes also to nurses, policemen, teachers, doctors, public servants. Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026 Suspecting that the bumbling local policeman, Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun, accentuating the goofiness), is wrong in his conclusion that George simply died of a heart attack, Lily rallies her fellow sheep to help solve the murder. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for policeman

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of policeman was in 1788

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Cite this Entry

“Policeman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policeman. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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)

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