police

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*tpelH-
2. Proto-Hellenic*ptólis
3. Ancient Greekπόλις (pólis)
4. Ancient Greekπολῑ́της (polī́tēs)
5. Ancient Greekπολῑτείᾱ (polīteíā)
6. Latinpolitia
7. Middle Frenchpolice
8. English todaypolice

From Middle French police, from Latin polītīa (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía). Doublet of policy, polis (“police”), and polity.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 18th c. A constituted body of officers representing the civil authority of government, empowered to maintain public order and safety, enforce the law, and prevent, detect, and investigate crime.
• from 18th c. A department of local (usually municipal) government responsible for general law enforcement.
• from 18th c. A branch of the Home Office responsible for general law enforcement within a specific territory.
• from 18th c. Any of the formally enacted law enforcement agencies at various levels of government.
• from 19th c. The staff of such a department or agency, particularly its officers; (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Jamaica, Scotland, countable) an individual police officer.
• from 17th c. Synonym of administration, the regulation of a community or society.
• 15th–19th c. Alternative form of policy.
• 16th–19th c. Alternative form of polity, civilization, a regulated community.