police action
Undeclared armed conflict
Police action is military intervention undertaken without a formal declaration of war.
The term gained prominence during the Korean War, which the U.S. officially characterized as a police action rather than a war.
The phrase can sound euphemistic, downplaying the scale of armed conflict: What they called a police action cost fifty thousand lives.
- law and orderGovernance through enforced rules
- interventionPurposeful involvement to change course
- use of forcePhysical compulsion to comply
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
- lawBinding principle or regulation
act of war · patrol · shooting war · riot control · crowd control · civil unrest · public safety · armed forces · order · state of war · Korean War · show of force · war machine · riot · military · boots on the ground · punitive measure · military maneuver
- enforcementcrackdown, fines, enforcement agencies, penalties, clampdown
- action genresmartial arts, kung fu, spy, western, war films
- Doublespeakcollateral damage, enhanced interrogation, friendly fire, regime change, neutralize
police actiondeclared war
Formally announced military aggression
war declaration · total war · conventional war · global conflict · war of attrition
police actionpeace
Freedom from disturbance
peacekeeping · diplomatic resolution · ceasefire · armistice · nonintervention
police actiondiplomatic solution
Conflict resolved through envoys
peace negotiation · diplomatic intervention · peace talks · treaty · ceasefire
police, action, policed, policing, policeman, policemen, policewoman, policewomen, polices