ENGLISH
REFERENCE

policeman

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //pəˈɫismən// UK //pəlˈiːsmən// po·lice·man General-service

n. a man who works for the police and helps keep people safe. He catches criminals and makes sure everyone follows the law.

n. a male member of a police force responsible for maintaining public order and enforcing the law. While historically standard, it is increasingly replaced by the gender-neutral 'police officer' in official and formal contexts.


SIMPLE

The policeman helps the children cross the street safely.

CONTEXTUAL

A policeman stood at the corner of the busy intersection to direct traffic after the lights failed.

COMPLEX

The local policeman became a familiar figure in the neighbourhood, building trust through daily patrols and consistent engagement with the small business owners on the high street.

Synonyms
Origin

From police + -man.

Usage

Often replaced by 'police officer' to avoid gender-specific language.

Pitfall

The policemans are here.The policemen are here.The plural form is 'policemen', following the irregular plural of 'man'.

Idioms1 entry

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