security police: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Political, Journalistic, Historical
Quick answer
What does “security police” mean?
A police force or unit with the specific duty of protecting state security, often dealing with political crimes, espionage, terrorism, or threats to government stability.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A police force or unit with the specific duty of protecting state security, often dealing with political crimes, espionage, terrorism, or threats to government stability.
A specialized law enforcement body focusing on internal security, counter-intelligence, and protection against subversion. Historically, such forces have been associated with authoritarian regimes and surveillance of political opponents.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood but not an official title in modern UK/US contexts. In the UK, 'security services' (MI5) or 'counter-terrorism police' are more common. In the US, 'Homeland Security' or 'FBI' cover similar domains. The phrase is most used historically or for foreign forces.
Connotations
Both varieties share strong connotations of state control, political repression, and historical regimes (e.g., East German Stasi, Soviet KGB). Slightly more likely to be used in American discourse regarding non-democratic states.
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties, primarily found in historical, political, or human rights reporting.
Grammar
How to Use “security police” in a Sentence
The [STATE/COUNTRY] security police [VERB: arrested/detained/interrogated] the dissident.He was followed by the security police.Files kept by the former security police were opened.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “security police” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The dissident was security-policed off the streets.
- The regime security-polices all online activity.
American English
- Activists claimed the government was attempting to security-police the protest.
- The agency's mandate includes security-policing extremist groups.
adjective
British English
- He had a chilling security-police mentality.
- The security-police methods were widely condemned.
American English
- They lived under a security-police state.
- A security-police file was kept on the journalist.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in risk analysis: 'The company's assets were seized by the security police.'
Academic
Used in political science, history, and security studies: 'The role of the security police in maintaining the authoritarian state was examined.'
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used when discussing news from non-democratic countries or historical documentaries.
Technical
Used in legal/human rights reports: 'The defendant alleges torture by the security police.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “security police”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “security police”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “security police”
- Using 'security police' to mean a private security guard or a police officer providing general public safety.
- Capitalizing the term when not referring to an official proper noun (e.g., 'the Security Police' vs 'the security police').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Very similar, often used interchangeably. 'Secret police' emphasizes covert operations and anonymity, while 'security police' can sometimes have a more official, uniformed presence, but both focus on state security.
Not under that specific name. The UK has the Security Service (MI5) for domestic counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism, and the US has the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. These are distinct from a monolithic 'security police' force as understood in historical/authoritarian contexts.
In general international and human rights discourse, it carries a negative connotation of repression. Within a specific state's propaganda, it might be portrayed positively as a defender of national stability.
Military police (MP) enforce law within the military. Security police focus on political and state security, often monitoring civilians. Their targets and legal frameworks are completely different.
A police force or unit with the specific duty of protecting state security, often dealing with political crimes, espionage, terrorism, or threats to government stability.
Security police is usually formal, political, journalistic, historical in register.
Security police: in British English it is pronounced /sɪˈkjʊər.ə.ti pəˈliːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /səˈkjʊr.ə.t̬i pəˈliːs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The long arm of the security police”
- “Eyes of the security police”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SECURITY POLICE = they police SECURITY (of the state), not the streets. They secure the regime from its people.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE STATE IS A BODY: Security police are the immune system, identifying and eliminating internal threats (political 'pathogens').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'security police' LEAST likely to be used accurately?