Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The body of constables of a district or city.
  • noun The district under the jurisdiction of a constable.
  • noun An armed police force organized like a military unit.
  • adjective Of or relating to constables, constabularies, or their jurisdictions.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to constables; consisting of constables; involving the functions of constables: as, a constabulary force.
  • noun The body of constables of a district, as a town, city, or county; a body or class of officers performing the functions of constables: as, the constabulary of Ireland.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to constables; consisting of constables.
  • noun The collective body of constables in any town, district, or country.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of, or relating to constables.
  • adjective Characteristic to police; police-like (as opposed to military)
  • noun A police force.
  • noun The police in a particular district or area.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the force of policemen and officers

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From mediaeval Latin conestabularia, a noun use of the feminine version of conestabularius, from Latin constabulus, from comes stabuli, literally ‘master of the stables’.

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Examples

  • The constabulary is saddled not just with law enforcement but with community mediation, counselling, social disruption and family and marital breakdown.

    IPCC To Investigate Barwell Deaths « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009

  • The new government is trying to create a new counterterrorism, with U.S. support, and we are training the frontier constabulary, which is a paramilitary force, primarily to fight terror in the tribal areas.

    CNN Transcript Jun 8, 2008 2008

  • He added that the award reflects the contribution PC Edwards has made to the overall aim of the constabulary, which is to inspire trust and confidence in the police service

    News round-up 2010

  • He added that the award reflects the contribution PC Edwards has made to the overall aim of the constabulary, which is to inspire trust and confidence in the police service

    News round-up 2010

  • He added that the award reflects the contribution PC Edwards has made to the overall aim of the constabulary, which is to inspire trust and confidence in the police service

    News round-up 2010

  • He said Miss Adams had called the constabulary's non-emergency number at 10. 45pm to report noise and nuisance in the garden.

    Home | Mail Online 2010

  • Richard Thompson, chief constable of the nuclear constabulary, which is the country's most heavily armed police force and that's not even counting all the plutonium it's packing, is of a different mind.

    The Guardian World News David Mitchell 2010

  • Criticising the constabulary was a no-go area for MPs.

    Top stories from Times Online 2009

  • It's the navy's "constabulary" role, protecting British trade since Henry VIII built his first fleet.

    New era, same old defence cuts 2010

  • First of all, it helps to look at the 4 "core missions" they suggest for US military forces: defend the American homeland; fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars; perform the "constabulary" duties associated with shaping the security environment in critical regions; transform U.S. forces to exploit the "revolution in military affairs;"

    Robbie Gennet: Come Out With Your Nukes Up! 2008

Comments

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  • When constabulary duty's to be done, to be done, a policeman's life is not an happy one.

    -- The Pirates of Penzance

    August 20, 2008

  • "Les gendarmes du Marseilles, the constabulary, de stiff awm o' de law".

    November 12, 2010

  • Clarkie is a part of this.

    June 12, 2012