police
UK[pəˈliːs]US[pəˈliːs]
n
The official organization that is responsible for protecting people and property, making people obey the law, finding out about and solving crime, and catching criminals
v
To use police or a similar body to control a place, event, or group of people
Etymology
The word "police" has a journey that traces civic order back to the ancient city-state. It originates from the Greek word 'polis', meaning "city", which evolved into the Latin 'politia', referring to "citizenship" or "civil administration". In the 15th century, French adopted the term as 'police' to denote public order and the regulation of a community. English borrowed this French term in the early 18th century, where its meaning narrowed to specifically denote the organized civil force responsible for maintaining public order, a concept central to the functioning of a modern state.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It entered English as a unified term from French, which derived it from Latin 'politia' (meaning "civil administration"), itself from Greek 'polis' (meaning "city").
Examples
The police are investigating the robbery.
He called the police to report a disturbance.
A UN force was sent to police the ceasefire agreement.