English Reference
Noun

posse

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈpɑsi/ UK /pˈɒsi/ posse

n.a group of friends who spend a lot of time together. It can also mean a group of people who are helping a leader or a police officer.

n.a group of people who accompany a person, often for protection or social status; historically, a body of men summoned by a sheriff to assist in law enforcement.


SIMPLE

He arrived at the party with his whole posse.

CONTEXTUAL

The pop star never travels alone, usually surrounded by a posse of bodyguards and assistants.

Usage

Often used with a possessive pronoun ('my posse', 'his posse') to indicate a personal social group.

A posse of directors, including Michael Powell, bring Alexander Korda’s Arabian Nights fantasy to the screen.

The Guardian· 3 Sept 2026

Ellipsis of posse comitatus.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated