German word

Gendarmerie

Pronunciation

IPA/ʒandaʁməˈʁiː/

Meaning

  • feminine nounmilitary police

Example

Im Dorf patrouillieren oft Gendarmerien.

Military police often patrol the village.

Illustration for Gendarmerie (military police)

More examples

Bei Auslandseinsätzen kooperiert die Gendarmerie oft mit internationalen Truppen.

During overseas deployments, the military police often cooperate with international troops.

Core concept

A uniformed force with military discipline patrols villages and open roads while performing police work.

Common phrases

  • Kontrollposten der Gendarmerie

    military police checkpoint

  • Auslandseinsatz der Gendarmerie

    overseas deployment of the military police

Similar words

Polizei: A public organization responsible for everyday law enforcement and crime response.
Gendarm: A uniformed officer who serves in a gendarmerie and helps maintain public order.
Militär: A nation's armed forces responsible for defense and wartime military action.
Bundespolizei: A federal police organization handling borders, transport, and the security of important sites.

Definition in German

Eine paramilitärisch strukturierte Polizei, historisch oder in einigen Staaten für ländliche Sicherheit zuständig.

Word origin

German Gendarmerie is borrowed from French gendarmerie, which developed from gens d'armes, meaning armed people.

Usage tips

  • Gendarmerie is feminine in German: die Gendarmerie, with the plural die Gendarmerien; Polizei is the usual word for ordinary police.

Other meanings

  • paramilitary policenoun
  • rural policenoun

Opposites

  • Zivilpolizeicivilian policenoun
  • Landespolizeistate policenoun

Related words

  • Gendarmenkorpsgendarme corpsnoun
  • Gendarmerieeinheitmilitary police unitnoun

Word lists with this word