# posse

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɒs.i/ · frequency rank #23,072

## Definitions
1. A group or company of people, originally especially one having hostile intent; a throng, a crowd.
2. A group of people summoned to help law enforcement.
3. A search party.
4. A criminal gang.
5. A group of (especially young) people seen as constituting a peer group or band of associates; a gang, a group of friends.

## Etymology
Ellipsis of posse comitatus.

## Easily confused with
- **post** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-post)
- **pots** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-pots)
- **puss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-puss)
- **psst** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-psst)
- **posts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-posts)
- **pussy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-pussy)
- **pulse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-pulse)
- **purse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-purse)
- **prose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-prose)
- **posted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-posted)
- **poster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-poster)
- **possum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-possum)
- **possess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-possess)
- **Prosser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/posse-vs-prosser)
- **pos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pos-vs-posse)
- **Poe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poe-vs-posse)
- **pass** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pass-vs-posse)
- **pope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pope-vs-posse)
- **pole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pole-vs-posse)
- **piss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piss-vs-posse)

## Common misspellings (4)
`opsse`, `poses`, `pposse`, `psose`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/posse