thought police

English

Etymology

Originally used in the first half of the twentieth century as an epithet for the Special Higher Police, although it is arguable that its popularity in modern usage stems primarily from the synonymous organization in George Orwell's book Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is responsible for monitoring all citizens and making sure they are not guilty of political dissent or thoughtcrime.

Noun

thought police (plural thought police)

1. (figurative) A group that aims to control the thoughts of others.

   These journalists are on their way to becoming thought police.

   My mother would make a good thought police. (singular usage)

   • 2021, Paradox Interactive, Hearts of Iron IV, The New Order: Last Days of Europe Mod, scene: Entry 10: The "Free" Territory:

     Steve Smith: Why does a free society have a fucking thought police?

Usage notes

• Formerly a singular noun phrase, Thought Police is now almost always used as a collective noun phrase with a plural verb, as in "Run, the 'thought police are coming!"

Translations

a group that aims to control what other people think

• Arabic: بوليس الفكر sg (boulis al-fikr)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 思想警察 (sīxiǎng jǐngchá)

• Danish: tankepoliti n
• Finnish: ajatuspoliisi (fi)
• French: police de la pensée f
• German: Gedankenpolizei f
• Hebrew: משטרת המחשבות n
• Italian: psicopolizia f
• Japanese: 思想警察 (shisō keisatsu)
• Norwegian: tankepoliti n
• Polish: policja myśli f
• Portuguese: polícia do pensamento f
• Russian: поли́ция мы́слей f (polícija mýslej)
• Serbo-Croatian: полиција мисли f (policija misli)
• Spanish: policía del pensamiento f
• Swedish: tankepolis c

Further reading

• thought police on Wikipedia.Wikipedia