Meanings
- historicalThe able-bodied men over 15 in a given county who can be summoned by the sheriff to help keep the peace, or arrest a felon; also a group of men so gathered.First known use early 17th c.
They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc.
1849, Henry David Thoreau, Resistance to Civil Government - figurativelyAny band of men, especially armed or hostile.
With him retired his ‘posse comitatus,’ / The attorney last, who linger'd near the door / Reluctantly […]
1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, section I
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Late Latinposse comitātūs“force of the county”
- Englishposse comitatus
From Late Latin posse comitātūs (“force of the county”, literally “power of the county”).
More words from Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
posse comitatus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posse%20comitatus
“posse comitatus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posse%20comitatus. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “posse comitatus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/posse%20comitatus.
Source: posse comitatus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.