Etymology

From mediaeval Latin conestabularia, a noun use of the feminine version of conestabularius, from constabulus, from comes stabuli, literally ‘master of the stables’.

Adjective

1. Of, or relating to constables.
2. Characteristic to police; police-like (as opposed to military)

   Constabulary missions are different from fighting wars.

Noun

1. A police force.
2. The police in a particular district or area.

Usage notes

Constabulary is a collective noun and usually has no plural. Only when describing groups of constabularies is it used in the plural sense. For example, the constabularies of England and Wales form part of the constabulary of the United Kingdom.