garda

G2A1R1D2A1
US/ˈɡɑɹdə/UK/ˈɡɑːdə/

proper noun

Synonym of Gardaí, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland.

“Garda Michael Egan”

Similar
Gardaí
OriginIrish Garda ← French gardiens de la paix ← Old French guarde →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

garda1

proper noungarda (plural gardai or gardaí)

plural gardai · plural gardaí

  1. Irelandin pluraloftenAlternative letter-case form of Garda.

    He said gardaí had responded professionally to “thuggish violence” in the area and those arrested would be “charged, named and dealt with relentlessly” by the criminal justice system.

    2025 October 22, Jim O'Callaghan, quotee, “Second night of unrest in Dublin as protesters target asylum hotel”, in The Guardian, sourced from P. A. Media, →ISSN, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2025
noungarda (plural gardai or gardaí)

plural gardai · plural gardaí

  1. IrelandAlternative letter-case form of Garda.

    A garda was ambling towards us.

    2004, Ken Bruen, The Guards, →ISBN, page 38
    1 more example

    A trainee garda who was sent home from Templemore Garda College after he was told the tattoo on his hand id not comply with the force's dress and uniform code said he has been “treated very unfairly”.

    2023 August 15, Ken Foy, “Garda trainee sent home from Templemore over tattoo says he has been treated ‘very unfairly‘”, in Irish Independent, page 6

Garda2

proper noun

alternative garda

  1. Synonym of Gardaí, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland.

    Synonyms: Gardaí

nounGarda (plural Gardaí or Gardai)

plural Gardaí · plural Gardai · alternative garda

  1. A member of the Gardaí: an Irish national police officer

    Garda Michael Egan

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounSynonym of Gardaí, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland.

Similar
Gardaí
Also see
ecilopesclopgardaíguardspolice'rales

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*wardāną
  2. Frankish*wardēn
  3. Old Frenchguarde
  4. Frenchgardiens de la paix
  5. IrishGarda Síochána“Guardian of the Peace”
  6. IrishGarda“guardian”
  7. EnglishGarda

From Irish Garda (“guardian”), from Irish Garda Síochána (“Guardian of the Peace”) and Garda Síochána na hÉireann (“Guardian of the Peace of Ireland”) after the model of the French Third Republic's civilian French gardiens de la paix, from Old French guarde, from guarder (“to guard”), from Frankish *wardēn, from Proto-Germanic *wardāną. Doublet of guard, guardian, and warden.

More words from Irish, French, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Agarddarga
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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