peace officer

noun

Synonyms of peace officernext
: a civil officer (such as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace

Examples of peace officer in a Sentence

He was arrested for assaulting a peace officer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition to the outstanding warrants, the suspects also face charges for theft and obstructing peace officers. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The 27-year-old faces a charge of capital murder of a person under 10 years old, evading arrest with a vehicle and terroristic threat against a peace officer, according to court records. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026 Branch was charged with murder of a first responder/peace officer. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Corrales and Moss were also charged with obstructing a peace officer. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for peace officer

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of peace officer was in 1649

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peace officer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peace%20officer. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Legal Definition

peace officer

noun
: a civil officer (as a police officer) whose duty it is to preserve the public peace

More from Merriam-Webster on peace officer

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster