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

Synonyms of policeman

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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.
Thaksin Shinawatra, the larger-than-life former policeman and telecom billionaire, built up enormous power as prime minister in the early 2000s, incurring the disdain of royalists. — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026 You’ll be attacked in the street for that, the policeman appeared to be telling him. — Ledio Cakaj, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 In 2022, an ex-policeman armed with a gun and knife stormed into a nursery in the country's north and murdered 24 children and 12 adults in one of Thailand's deadliest massacres. — CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 People began rioting in Los Angeles’ predominantly Black Watts neighborhood after a crowd watched White policemen forcefully subdue a Black man. — USA Today, 28 July 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

Rhymes for policeman

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Browse Nearby Words

policeless
policeman
policeman fly
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Cite this Entry

“Policeman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policeman. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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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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