secret police

noun

: a police organization operating for the most part in secrecy and especially for the political purposes of its government often with terroristic methods

Examples of secret police in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to his official biography, he was tortured in detention at the hands of the SAVAK, the notorious secret police. — Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026 Without transparency and accountability, yesterday’s secret police become tomorrow’s rulers. — Vladimir Kara-Murza, Washington Post, 1 May 2026 Corrupt leadership, surveillance, media complicity, secret police, public fear, state violence, and organized resistance. — Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 The film, which won the international feature Oscar, centers around the covert audio surveillance of East Berlin residents by a senior operative for East Germany’s secret police, aka the Stasi. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for secret police

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secret police was in 1823

Rhymes for secret police

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Browse Nearby Words

secret partner
secret police
secret process
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Cite this Entry

“Secret police.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secret%20police. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

secret police

noun
: a police organization operating mostly in secrecy and especially for the political purposes of its government and often using methods of terrorists

More from Merriam-Webster on secret police

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about secret police

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