policíaco
“policíaco” means “police” in Spanish (as a describing word, e.g., 'police report').
police
Also: detective, crime
📝 In Action
Me encanta leer novelas policíacas antes de dormir.
B1I love reading detective novels before going to sleep.
La televisión emitió un drama policíaco muy emocionante.
B1The television aired a very exciting police drama.
Hubo un fuerte despliegue policíaco durante la manifestación.
B2There was a heavy police presence (deployment) during the protest.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: policíaco
Question 1 of 3
Which of these phrases correctly describes a 'detective novel'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Spanish word 'policía' (police), which comes from the Latin 'politia' and originally from the Greek 'politeia', meaning 'citizenship' or 'government of the city'.
First recorded: 19th Century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between 'policíaco' and 'policial'?
They are very similar! 'Policial' is more generic and used for anything relating to the police force (like a police station). 'Policíaco' is more often used for the genre of detective fiction and crime stories.
Why does the accent matter?
It changes the pronunciation. 'Poli-CÍ-aco' has the stress on the 'i', while 'polici-A-co' (without the accent) moves the stress. Both are accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy.
Can I use this word for a 'crime' in general?
Not exactly. Use 'criminal' or 'delictivo' for things relating to the crime itself. Use 'policíaco' for things relating to the investigation or the genre of the story.