posse comitatus
Meanings
noun
- The able-bodied men over 15 in a given county who can be summoned by the sheriff to help keep the peace, or arrest a felon; also a group of men so gathered.
- Any band of men, especially armed or hostile.
Word forms
Etymology
From Late Latin posse comitātūs (“force of the county”, literally “power of the county”).
Derived words
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