posse comitatus
posse comitatus · posse comitatuses
The able-bodied men over 15 in a given county who can be summoned by the sheriff to…The able-bodied men over 15 in a given county who can be summoned by the sheriff to help keep the peace, or arrest a felon; also a group of men so gathered.
Meaning
2 senses(historical)The able-bodied men over 15 in a given county who can be summoned by the sheriff to help keep the peace, or arrest a felon; also a group of men so gathered.
(figuratively)Any band of men, especially armed or hostile.
More definitions
- a temporary police force
Origin
From Late Latin posse comitātūs (“force of the county”, literally “power of the county”).From Late Latin posse comitātūs (“force of the county”, literally “power of the county”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: posse comitatuses| Singular | posse comitatus |
|---|---|
| Plural | posse comitatuses |
regular
Synonyms
1 synonymsClose in meaning
- a temporary police force:posse
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedposse