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Police vs Criminal - What's the difference?

police | criminal |

As nouns the difference between police and criminal

is that police is a civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintain public order while criminal is a person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.

As a verb police

is to enforce the law and keep order among (a group).

As an adjective criminal is

being against the law; forbidden by law.

police

English

Noun

(-)
  • A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintain public order.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=18 citation , passage=‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?}}
  • * {{quote-book, 2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, page=440 citation
    • , passage=This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.}}
  • (obsolete) Policy.
  • (obsolete) Communal living; civilization.
  • * 2002 , , The Greta Nation , Penguin 2003, p. 218:
    • The notion of ‘police ’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.

    Synonyms

    * the cobblers, the fuzz, pigs]], , bobbies, peelers, woodentops (qualifier), [[6-up, the law

    Derived terms

    * chief of police * police box * police brutality * police captain * police car * police chief * police commissioner * police constable * police department * police detective * police dog * police force * police headquarters * police jury * police lieutenant * policeman * police officer * police precinct * police protection * police record * police sergeant * police service * police squad * police state * police station * police van * police wagon * policewoman

    Related terms

    * policy * political * politician * politicize * politic * politics * polity

    Verb

    (polic)
  • To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 24, author=Nathan Rabin, work=The Onion AV Club
    • , title= Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3 , passage=Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter
    • , title= Cronies and capitols , passage=Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example.}}
  • To patrol an area.
  • * 2006 , , Hundred-Dollar Baby , Putnam, ISBN 0399153764, page 275,
    • "Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?"
    1000 English basic words ----

    criminal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being against the law; forbidden by law.
  • * Addison
    • Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.
  • Guilty of breaking the law.
  • * Rogers
    • The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.
  • Of or relating to crime or penal law.
  • * Hallam
    • The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject were in some cases liable to criminal process.
    His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.
  • (figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable, even if allowed by law.
    • ''Printing such asinine opinions without rebuttal is criminal , even when not libel!

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "criminal" is often applied: law, justice, court, procedure, prosecution, intent, case, record, act, action, behavior, code, offence, liability, investigation, conduct, defense, trial, history, responsibility, lawyer, tribunal, appeal, process, background, mind, conspiracy, evidence, gang, organization, underworld, jurisprudence, offender, jury, police, past, group, punishment, attorney, violence, report, career, psychology.

    Synonyms

    * illegal

    Derived terms

    * criminal conversation * criminalisation * criminalist * criminalistics * criminality * criminalize * criminal law * criminal-law * criminally * criminal negligence * criminalness * criminal-offence * criminal offence * criminal procedure * criminal record

    Related terms

    * criminate * crimination * criminologist * criminology * criminousness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=3 citation , passage=‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’}}

    Synonyms

    * lawbreaker * offender * perpetrator * See also