sheriff
noun
sher·iff ˈsher-əf 
: an important official of a shire or county charged primarily with judicial duties (such as executing the processes and orders of courts and judges)
sheriffdom
ˈsher-əf-dəm
noun -təm
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Evacuation warnings were issued by the sheriff for Gibbs Drive, Jamestown Road, Racetrack Road, Ponderosa Way, Cottage Court and Woodside Drive. 
Lauren Hepler, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Sep. 2022 Jesse grew up in a town called Freemanville, a settlement of Black people that’s involuntarily twinned with the neighboring white outpost of Cutterstown, which is run by a despotic and sadistic sheriff named Bates (Richard Jordan). Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 The Coast Guard was notified by the county sheriff on the morning of July 30 and began its own search and rescue efforts which were suspended Aug. 1 after two days. Dia Gill, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2022 Wilcox pointed to testimony by a Baltimore sheriff who told state legislators in 2019 that in the first few months of Maryland's red flag law going into effect, his office seized firearms in five instances that involved schools. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2022 Limon alleges that she was falsely blamed by the sheriff for covering up the incident, and was forced to retire early from the department on March 29. Melissa Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 According to a statement from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Richard Jean Poulin, 58, of Hillsboro, was shot and killed by a Highland County deputy sheriff after a police pursuit ended near 5760 U.S. 62. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 18 July 2022 Last month, Brandy Bottone of Plano, Texas, was pulled over by a Dallas sheriff’s deputy and given a ticket for driving alone in a high-occupancy vehicle lane. New York Times, 12 July 2022 The Center on Policing Equity, a Los Angeles area nonprofit that uses data to inform law enforcement policies, issued a December report documenting racial profiling by San Diego sheriff’s deputies. Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2022 See More
Lauren Hepler, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Sep. 2022 Jesse grew up in a town called Freemanville, a settlement of Black people that’s involuntarily twinned with the neighboring white outpost of Cutterstown, which is run by a despotic and sadistic sheriff named Bates (Richard Jordan). Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022 The Coast Guard was notified by the county sheriff on the morning of July 30 and began its own search and rescue efforts which were suspended Aug. 1 after two days. Dia Gill, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2022 Wilcox pointed to testimony by a Baltimore sheriff who told state legislators in 2019 that in the first few months of Maryland's red flag law going into effect, his office seized firearms in five instances that involved schools. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2022 Limon alleges that she was falsely blamed by the sheriff for covering up the incident, and was forced to retire early from the department on March 29. Melissa Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 According to a statement from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Richard Jean Poulin, 58, of Hillsboro, was shot and killed by a Highland County deputy sheriff after a police pursuit ended near 5760 U.S. 62. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 18 July 2022 Last month, Brandy Bottone of Plano, Texas, was pulled over by a Dallas sheriff’s deputy and given a ticket for driving alone in a high-occupancy vehicle lane. New York Times, 12 July 2022 The Center on Policing Equity, a Los Angeles area nonprofit that uses data to inform law enforcement policies, issued a December report documenting racial profiling by San Diego sheriff’s deputies. Jeff Mcdonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English shirreve, from Old English scīrgerēfa, from scīr shire + gerēfa reeve — more at shire, reeve
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
sheriff
noun
sher·iff ˈsher-əf
: the officer of a county who is in charge of enforcing the law
Legal Definition
sheriff
noun
sher·iff
: an official of a county or parish charged primarily with judicial duties (as executing the processes and orders of courts and judges)
sheriffs
noun
as in troopers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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- troopers
- marshals
- inspectors
- detectives
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- sherlocks
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- peace officers
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- fuzzes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilians