Meanings
- pluralsingularA police force operating in secrecy and outside the normal boundaries of law and hidden from the public, usually in support of a totalitarian government's political policies to suppress political dissent through the use of methods including intimidation, violence, and surveillance.First known use 1823
Leading Jordanian exponents of the Salafi-jihadi world view, such as Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, are now behind bars or silent, fearing arrest by the powerful mukhabarat secret police.
2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian1 more example
1979, Jello Biafra & John Greenway, "California Über Alles", Dead Kennedys, California Über Alles. Now it is nineteen eighty-four / Knock-knock at your front door / It's the suede denim secret police / They have come for your uncool niece
Translations
Afrikaans geheime polisie
- geheime polisiepolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Arabic بُولِيس سِرِّيّ
- بُولِيس سِرِّيّ (būlīs sirriyy)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Basque isilpeko polizia, polizia sekretua
- isilpeko poliziapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
- polizia sekretuapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Bulgarian та́йна поли́ция
- та́йна поли́ция (tájna polícija)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Catalan policia secreta
- policia secretapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Chinese Cantonese 秘密警察
- 秘密警察 (bei³ mat⁶ ging² caat³)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Chinese Mandarin 秘密警察
- 秘密警察 (mìmì jǐngchá)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Danish hemmeligt politi
- hemmeligt politipolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Dutch geheime politie
- geheime politiepolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Finnish salainen poliisi
- salainen poliisipolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
French police secrète
- police secrètepolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
German Geheimpolizei
- Geheimpolizeipolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Greek μυστική αστυνομία
- μυστική αστυνομία (mystikí astynomía)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Hebrew בּוֹלֶשֶׁת
- בּוֹלֶשֶׁת (boléshet)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Hungarian titkosrendőrség
- titkosrendőrségpolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Italian polizia segreta
- polizia segretapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Japanese 秘密警察
- 秘密警察 (himitsu keisatsu)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Latin politia secreta
- politia secretapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Latvian slepenpolicija
- slepenpolicijapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Norwegian hemmelig politi
- hemmelig politipolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Polish tajna policja
- tajna policjapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Portuguese polícia secreta
- polícia secretapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Romanian poliție secretă
- poliție secretăpolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Russian та́йная поли́ция
- та́йная поли́ция (tájnaja polícija)police operating outside normal boundaries of law
Spanish policía secreta
- policía secretapolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Swedish hemlig polis
- hemlig polispolice operating outside normal boundaries of law
Cite this entry
secret police. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secret%20police
“secret police.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secret%20police. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “secret police,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secret%20police.
Source: secret police on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.