a. (Zool.) Same as Pollicate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. politia the condition of a state, government, administration, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to be a citizen, to govern or administer a state, fr. &unr_; citizen, fr. &unr_; city; akin to Skr. pur, puri. Cf. Policy polity, Polity. ] 1. A judicial and executive system, for the government of a city, town, or district, for the preservation of rights, order, cleanliness, health, etc., and for the enforcement of the laws and prevention of crime; the administration of the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated town, or borough. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which concerns the order of the community; the internal regulation of a state. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The organized body of civil officers in a city, town, or district, whose particular duties are the preservation of good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the enforcement of the laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mil.) Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements in a camp or garrison. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state &unr_; a camp as to cleanliness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Police commissioner, a civil officer, usually one of a board, commissioned to regulate and control the appointment, duties, and discipline of the police. --
Police constable, or
Police officer, a policeman. --
Police court, a minor court to try persons brought before it by the police. --
Police inspector, an officer of police ranking next below a superintendent. --
Police jury, a body of officers who collectively exercise jurisdiction in certain cases of police, as levying taxes, etc.; -- so called in Louisiana. Bouvier. --
Police justice, or
Police magistrate, a judge of a police court. --
Police offenses (Law), minor offenses against the order of the community, of which a police court may have final jurisdiction. --
Police station, the headquarters of the police, or of a section of them; the place where the police assemble for orders, and to which they take arrested persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Policed p. pr. & vb. n. Policing. ] 1. To keep in order by police. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) To make clean; as, to police a camp. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Regulated by laws for the maintenance of peace and order, enforced by organized administration. “A policed kingdom.” Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Policemen A member of a body of police; a constable. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Law) The inherent power of a government to regulate its police affairs. The term police power is not definitely fixed in meaning. In the earlier cases in the United States it was used as including the whole power of internal government, or the powers of government inherent in every sovereignty to the extent of its dominions (11 Peters (U. S.) 102). The later cases have excepted from its domain the development and administration of private law. Modern political science defines the power as a branch of internal administration in the exercise of which the executive should move within the lines of general principles prescribed by the constitution or the legislature, and in the exercise of which the most local governmental organizations should participate as far as possible (Burgess). Under this limitation the police power, as affecting persons, is the power of the state to protect the public against the abuse of individual liberty, that is, to restrain the individual in the exercise of his rights when such exercise becomes a danger to the community. The tendency of judicial and popular usage is towards this narrower definition. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Relating to the police. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Policed. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Policies [ L. politia, Gr. &unr_;; cf. F. police, Of. police. See Police, n. ] 1. Civil polity. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The settled method by which the government and affairs of a nation are, or may be, administered; a system of public or official administration, as designed to promote the external or internal prosperity of a state. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The method by which any institution is administered; system of management; course. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Management or administration based on temporal or material interest, rather than on principles of equity or honor; hence, worldly wisdom; dexterity of management; cunning; stratagem. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Prudence or wisdom in the management of public and private affairs; wisdom; sagacity; wit. [ 1913 Webster ]

The very policy of a hostess, finding his purse so far above his clothes, did detect him. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Motive; object; inducement. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

What policy have you to bestow a benefit where it is counted an injury? Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Polity. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Policied p. pr. & vb. n. Policying. ] To regulate by laws; to reduce to order. [ Obs. ] “Policying of cities.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]