police officer

/pəˈlis ˈɑfɪsər/

/pəˈlis ˈɒfɪsə/

Other forms: police officers

A police officer is a person whose job involves enforcing the law. On a given day, a police officer might issue a ticket to a speeding driver, respond to a noise complaint about a barking dog, or direct traffic during a parade.

Police officers are members of a police force, tasked with upholding laws, investigating crimes, and arresting criminals, among many other duties. Most police officers attend an academy and take a written exam before they can join a force. You can also use the terms policeman and policewoman, but those sound a bit old-fashioned — and police officer includes everyone on the police force.

Definitions of police officer

1. noun

   a member of a police force
   synonyms: officer, policeman

   types:

   bobby

   an informal term for a British policeman

   bull, cop, copper, fuzz, pig

   uncomplimentary terms for a policeman

   captain, police captain, police chief

   a policeman in charge of a precinct

   constable, police constable

   a police officer of the lowest rank

   detective, investigator, police detective, tec

   a police officer who investigates crimes

   gendarme

   a French policeman

   inspector

   a high ranking police officer

   motorcycle cop, motorcycle policeman, speed cop

   a policeman who rides a motorcycle (and who checks the speeds of motorists)

   police matron, policewoman

   a woman policeman

   Mountie

   colloquial term for a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

   shoofly

   an undercover police officer who investigates other policemen

   traffic cop

   a policeman who controls the flow of automobile traffic

   trooper

   a mounted policeman

   state trooper, trooper

   a state police officer

   Chief Constable

   the head of the police force in a county (or similar area)

   crossing guard

   someone who helps people (especially children) at a traffic crossing

   dick, gumshoe, hawkshaw

   someone who is a detective

   meter maid

   policewoman who is assigned to write parking tickets

   plainclothesman

   a detective who wears civilian clothes on duty

   pointsman

   a policeman stationed at an intersection to direct traffic

   tracer

   an investigator who is employed to find missing persons or missing goods

   type of:

   law officer, lawman, peace officer

   an officer of the law