Constabulary may have several definitions:
- A civil, non-paramilitary (police) force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in the United Kingdom, in which all county police forces once bore the title (and some still do). Constables also exist in some U.S. states including Texas and Pennsylvania.
- In English-speaking Canada, the starting rank of all police officers is Constable. The provincial police service of Newfoundland and Labrador is the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. This term reflects the force’s history of having been modelled after the Royal Irish Constabulary. In this case, Constabulary is used in the same sense in which it is used in the UK.
- A large civil police force organised and trained along military lines, which may contain paramilitary elements. This is the usual definition in places outside Great Britain such as the former Royal Irish Constabulary, the former Royal Ulster Constabulary[citation needed], Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Jamaica Constabulary Force.
- A military or paramilitary type force consisting of soldiers trained for police duties. Mostly established by the United States in the several countries over which it had protective status e.g. Philippine Constabulary; United States Constabulary in West Germany after World War II. These forces also performed military functions by maintaining "mobile forces" of organised units.