constabulary

Everyday

(UK, Ireland, formal) A constabulary is the police force of an area. tree →

In the lessons

In Britain many police forces once had «Constabulary» in their names, like «Lancashire Constabulary». In The Wind in the Willows Toad is arrested and taken before the court by the police, and stories call the local police the constabulary. In Ireland, the old Royal Irish Constabulary existed before 1922.

Examples

• The local constabulary searched the woods. tree →
• He was a constable in the county constabulary. tree →
• Toad was a terror to the constabulary. tree →
• The constabulary was called to the riot. tree →
• The Royal Irish Constabulary was disbanded in 1922. tree →
• The constabulary put out a warning about scams. tree →
• I am a copying-clerk at the police-office; and you know you cannot insult any belonging to the constabulary force without a chastisement. tree →

Note

Plural: constabularies. Related: constable (a police officer, often of the lowest rank). Pronounced kon-STAB-yoo-luh-ree.