Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to police
Participle: policed
Gerund: policing
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | police |
| you | police |
| he;she;it | polices |
| we | police |
| you | police |
| they | police |
Perfect
| I | have policed |
| you | have policed |
| he;she;it | has policed |
| we | have policed |
| you | have policed |
| they | have policed |
Past
| I | policed |
| you | policed |
| he;she;it | policed |
| we | policed |
| you | policed |
| they | policed |
Pluperfect
| I | had policed |
| you | had policed |
| he;she;it | had policed |
| we | had policed |
| you | had policed |
| they | had policed |
Future
| I | will police |
| you | will police |
| he;she;it | will police |
| we | will police |
| you | will police |
| they | will police |
Future Perfect
| I | will have policed |
| you | will have policed |
| he;she;it | will have policed |
| we | will have policed |
| you | will have policed |
| they | will have policed |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | police |
| you | police |
| he;she;it | police |
| we | police |
| you | police |
| they | police |
Perfect
| I | have policed |
| you | have policed |
| he;she;it | have policed |
| we | have policed |
| you | have policed |
| they | have policed |
Imperfect
| I | policed |
| you | policed |
| he;she;it | policed |
| we | policed |
| you | policed |
| they | policed |
Pluperfect
| I | had policed |
| you | had policed |
| he;she;it | had policed |
| we | had policed |
| you | had policed |
| they | had policed |
Conditional
Present
| I | would police |
| you | would police |
| he;she;it | would police |
| we | would police |
| you | would police |
| they | would police |
Perfect
| I | would have policed |
| you | would have policed |
| he;she;it | would have policed |
| we | would have policed |
| you | would have policed |
| they | would have policed |
Imperative
| you | police |
| we | Let's police |
| you | police |
Verbs conjugated like 'police'
abacinate,
abalienate,
abase,
abate,
abbreviate,
abdicate,
abduce,
aberrate,
aberuncate,
abirritate,
abjudge,
abjudicate,
abjugate,
abjure,
ablactate,
ablaqueate,
able,
ablegate,
abligate,
abnegate, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'police'
policy,
polite,
malice,
notice,
palace,
place,
poise,
pole,
polish,
ponce,
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. c.1530, at first essentially the same word as policy (1); from M.Fr. police (1477), from L. politia "civil administration," from Gk. polis "city" (see policy (1)). Still used in Eng. for "civil administration" until mid-19c.; application to "administration of public order" (1716) is from Fr., and originally referred to France or other foreign nations. The first force so-named in Eng. was the Marine Police, set up 1798 to protect merchandise at the Port of London. The verb "to keep order by means of police" is from 1841; policeman is from 1829. Police state "state regulated by means of national police" first recorded 1865, with ref. to Austria.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *tpelH-
4. Proto-Hellenic *ptólis
5. Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis)
6. Proto-Indo-European *-tósder.
7. Ancient Greek -της (-tēs)
8. Ancient Greek πολῑ́της (polī́tēs)
9. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
10. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
11. Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
12. Proto-Hellenic *-íā
13. Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)
14. Ancient Greek πολῑτείᾱ (polīteíā)bor.
15. Latin politiabor.
16. Middle French policeder.
17. English police
18. From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.
Sample Sentences
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Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.
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Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials. [2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club:]
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Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example. [2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:]
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Train operators were reluctant to speak to RAIL on the record, but one responded: "The unions are rightly very clear that they don't want staff policing face coverings after the removal of legal backing. [2021 July 28, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Confusion and dissent over face mask requirements: Reaction to the Guidance: Train operators”, in RAIL, number 936, page 7:]
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This comes to him through the company housekeeping, for in the field each organization takes care of itself, cooks its own food, makes its own beds, does its own policing (cleaning up); […] [1900, Proceedings of the eighth annual meeting, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States:]
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Q. […] What did you do that day? — A. I was cleaning up around quarters.
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Q. You had been on guard and went on police duty? You were policing, cleaning up around the barracks? — A. Yes, sir. [1907, Hearings Before the Committee on Military Affairs, United States Senate, concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Tex. on the Night of August 13 and 14, 1906, volume 2:]
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ELIAS: Police up your extra ammo and frags, don't leave nothing for the dinks. [1986, Oliver Stone, Platoon (film script)]
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"Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?" [2006, Robert B. Parker, Hundred-Dollar Baby, Putnam,, →ISBN, page 275:]
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to police a person's identity