[Ads-l] Antedating of Modern Sense of "Police"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Sun Jan 31 21:36:53 UTC 2016


The OED's first use for the modern sense of "police" (sense 5.a.) is dated 1798.  I believe an earlier use of that sense occurs in Patrick Colquhoun's book, _A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis_ (1796).

Fred Shapiro

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