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Posse started out in English as part of a term from common law, posse comitatus, which in Medieval Latin translates as “power or authority of the county.” Posse comitatus referred to a group of citizens summoned by a reeve (a medieval official) or sheriff to preserve the public peace as allowed for by law. “Preserving the public peace” so often meant hunting down a supposed criminal that posse eventually came to refer to any group organized to make a search or embark on a mission, and today one may read about posses organized for search and rescue efforts. In even broader use it can refer to any group, period. Sometimes nowadays that group is a gang or a rock band but it can as easily be any group—of politicians, models, architects, tourists, children, or what have you—acting together for some shared purpose.
Synonyms
Examples of posse in a Sentence
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024
From her posse of friends and family to the details of her game day look, see the best photos of Swift at the Sept. 15 Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024
Mack has also espoused his view that every sheriff should have his own posse.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024
As someone who grew up in Wisconsin, Milwaukee meant annual Brewers game field trips, concerts at the Bradley Center or The Rave and meeting up with friends at Summerfest (posse of parents included).
—Journal Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near posse
Cite this Entry
“Posse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posse. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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posse
noun
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