police state
noun
a nation in which the police, especially a secret police, summarily suppresses any social, economic, or political act that conflicts with governmental policy.
Origin of police state
First recorded in 1860–65
Words nearby police state
British Dictionary definitions for police state
police state
noun
a state or country in which a repressive government maintains control through the police
Cultural definitions for police state
police state
A nation whose rulers maintain order and obedience by the threat of police or military force; one with a brutal, arbitrary government.