police staten.
/pᵿˈliːs ˌsteɪt/, /ˈpliːs ˌsteɪt/, U.S. /pəˈlis ˌsteɪt/ A totalitarian state run by means of a national police force, using repressive methods such as covert surveillance and arbitrary arrest and imprisonment to control the population.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > a or the state > [noun] > where specific conditions prevail
police state1851
welfare state1894
Rechtsstaat1912
temple-state1920
kulturstaat1925
garrison state1937
the Illfare State1952
opportunity state1957
1851 Times 15 Aug. 6/2 Austria has become more of a police State than she was before.
1896 B. Russell German Social Democracy iv. 114 This infamous Law, the crowning endeavour of the enlightened police state.
1939 War Illustr. 28 Oct. 217/1 Spies are everywhere; indeed, Germany is the modern exemplification of the ‘police state’ in action.
1975 Times 11 Jan. 12/6 A campaign to spot the terrorists before they act..requires measures which smack of the police state.
2004 Edmonton (Alberta) Jrnl. (Nexis) 4 Nov. c2 A police state where everyone is potentially an informer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1851