Constabulary

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kÉ™nˈstæbjÊŠlÉ™ri/

Origin

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

Full definition of constabulary

Adjective

1. Of, or relating to constables.
2. Characteristic to police; police-like (as opposed to military)Constabulary missions are different from fighting wars.

Synonyms

• constabular

Noun

1. A police force.
2. The police in a particular district or area.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 22, Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part....Next day she...tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.

Usage notes

Constabulary is a collective noun and usually has no plural. Only when describing groups of constabularies is it used in the plural sense. For example, the constabularies of England and Wales form part of the constabulary of the United Kingdom.