Kenpeitai

K5E1N1P3E1I1T1A1I1
/kɛnpeɪˈtaɪ/

proper noun

The military police of the Imperial Japanese Army that also served as the secret police of Imperial Japan, active from 1881 to 1945.

OriginJapanese 憲兵隊 →
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Kempeitai · alternative kempeitai · alternative kenpeitai

  1. historyThe military police of the Imperial Japanese Army that also served as the secret police of Imperial Japan, active from 1881 to 1945.

Origin

  1. Japanese憲兵隊
  2. EnglishKenpeitai

Borrowed from Japanese 憲兵隊 (Kenpeitai).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 憲兵隊 /宪兵队
  • 憲兵隊 /宪兵队 (xiànbīngduì)Imperial police force
Indonesian kempetai
  • kempetaiImperial police force
Japanese 憲兵隊
  • 憲兵隊 (kenpeitai)Imperial police force
Cite this entry
APA

Kenpeitai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kenpeitai

MLA

“Kenpeitai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kenpeitai. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kenpeitai,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kenpeitai.

Source: Kenpeitai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.