secret police
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
secret police
n.
A police force operating largely in secret and often using terror tactics to suppress dissent and political opposition.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
secret police
n
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) a police force that operates relatively secretly to check subversion or political dissent
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
se′cret police′
n.
a police force that operates secretly, esp. to suppress dissent against the government.
[1920–25]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | secret police - a police force that operates in secrecy (usually against persons suspected of treason or sedition) constabulary, police, police force, law - the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking for him" Gestapo - the secret state police in Nazi Germany; known for its terrorist methods |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
شُرْطَةٌ سِرِّيَّه
tajná policie
hemmeligt politi
titkosrendõrség
leynilögregla
gizli polis
secret police
n the secret police → la polizia segretaCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
secret
(ˈsiːkrit) adjective hidden from, unknown to, or not told to, other people. a secret agreement; He kept his illness secret from everybody.
noun1. something which is, or must be kept, secret. The date of their marriage is a secret; industrial secrets.
2. a hidden explanation. I wish I knew the secret of her success.
ˈsecrecy noun the state of being or the act of keeping secret.
ˈsecretive (-tiv) adjective inclined to conceal one's activities, thoughts etc. secretive behaviour.
ˈsecretively adverbˈsecretiveness noun
ˈsecretly adverb
in such a way that others do not know, see etc. He secretly copied the numbers down in his notebook.
secret agent a spy.
secret police a police force whose activities are kept secret and which is concerned mostly with political crimes.
in secret secretly. This must all be done in secret.
keep a secret not to tell (something secret) to anyone else. You can't trust her to keep a secret.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.