sheriff

[sher-if]

noun

1. the law-enforcement officer of a county or other civil subdivision of a state.

2. (formerly) an important civil officer in an English shire.

sheriff

/ ˈʃɛrɪf /

noun

1. (in the US) the chief law-enforcement officer in a county: popularly elected, except in Rhode Island

2. (in England and Wales) the chief executive officer of the Crown in a county, having chiefly ceremonial duties

3. (in Scotland) a judge in any of the sheriff courts

4. (in Australia) an administrative officer of the Supreme Court, who enforces judgments and the execution of writs, empanels juries, etc

5. (in New Zealand) an officer of the High Court

Other Word Forms

• sheriffdom noun
• subsheriff noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheriff¹

before 1050; Middle English sher ( r ) ef, Old English scīrgerēfa. See shire, reeve ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheriff¹

Old English scīrgerēfa, from scīr _shire ¹ + gerēfa _reeve ¹

Example Sentences

The sheriff’s office website and records list even more—a total of 65 for that period.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

County incarcerates about 13,000 people — including roughly 1,500 women — throughout its network of jails watched over by sheriff’s deputies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Before that the building had been the Altadena sheriff’s station, making it a community landmark, she said.

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The sheriff emphasised that there is no known or ongoing threat to public safety, and the community remains safe.

Read more on BBC

Customs and Border Protection personnel are headed to Charlotte, N.C., a local sheriff’s office said, making it the latest Democratic-led city to receive an influx of federal agents.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal