gendarmeria

gendarmerie

noun jen-dar-meh-REE-ah Rare

Origin: From French gendarmerie, 'armed men'.

Usage Note

Gendarmeria in Italy refers specifically to the Gendarmeria Vaticana, the Vatican's police corps, or to the equivalent armed police forces in other countries (France, etc.). It is NOT a synonym for carabinieri or polizia in everyday Italian usage. The word is feminine and takes the regular plural gendarmerie.

Examples

"La gendarmeria sorveglia i palazzi vaticani."

Natural Translation

The gendarmerie guards the Vatican palaces.

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