policeman

policeman — noun

1. a man whose job is to work for the police, catch criminals, and protect the publ

1.nounA2
Definition

a man whose job is to work for the police, catch criminals, and protect the public

Example

The policeman stopped traffic so the children could cross safely.

typical duty: stop traffic for safety

A policeman knocked on our door after my bike was stolen.

Common collocations
  • local policeman
  • uniformed policeman
  • policeman on duty
  • call a policeman
Synonyms
  • police officer

    Gender-neutral and now more common in many formal and everyday contexts.

  • cop

    Informal everyday word.

  • constable

    Mainly British; can also refer to a particular police rank.

  • officer

    Short form used when the police context is already clear.

Usage Note

Commonly replaced by the gender-neutral term police officer in modern English. Use policeman only when the person is known to be male or that detail matters.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is policeman.
My uncle is a policeman.
The singular noun needs an article.
The policeman at the desk was a woman.
The police officer at the desk was a woman.
Policeman refers only to a male officer.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Policeman means a male member of the police, so it is more specific than police officer. In modern English, police officer is often preferred because it is gender-neutral and works in both formal writing and everyday speech. Cop is common in conversation, but it sounds more informal and is less suitable in careful writing. Constable is mainly British and may refer to a particular rank, so it does not always match policeman exactly. Officer is often used as a shorter word when everyone already knows the person is in the police. You might say 'A policeman helped the lost child,' but a news report would often say 'A police officer helped the child.'

police officercop ↗constable ↗officer ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

This word was formed in English from police and man. The first part came into English through French from older Greek and Latin words connected with public order and government. Policeman has long meant a man working in the police.