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 shrieval
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

Derived Forms

• ˈsheriffdom, noun

Other Words From

• sher·iff·dom [sher, -if-d, uh, m], noun
• sub·sheriff 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

On Friday, the sheriff of Manatee County on the state’s western coast, announced the arrest of a 62-year-old widower who had requested a mail ballot for his deceased wife.

From Fortune

Challenged by the president on “law enforcement” support, for example, he didn't mention his endorsements from hundreds of sheriffs.

From Washington Post

Union officials, real estate agents, Chamber of Commerce members, the county sheriff, the district attorney and even the county school superintendent spoke about how vital oil revenues are to the area.

From ProPublica

“Apple is a sheriff who sometimes makes unfair interpretations of the guidelines for its own benefit,” Hirabayashi said.

From Fortune

For example, a sheriff in Washington state told a cheering crowd that he would not enforce the state’s mask mandate.

From No Straight News

The sheriff charged them with truancy, and then he and his officers ran them out of town.

From The Daily Beast

We also see her physically battling Sheriff Clark, but the camera focuses on her falling to the ground.

From The Daily Beast

The pastor told sheriff deputies that he spoke with the younger man “but said nothing inappropriate.”

From The Daily Beast

In turn, he told the sheriff he had experimented with gay sex in college.

From The Daily Beast

The preacher gave sheriff deputies permission to search his SUV but warned them “there was something bad” inside.

From The Daily Beast

Judge or sheriff, it was all one to them, each being equally terrible in their eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

He felt very sorry for the Temecula people, the sheriff did; but he had to obey the law himself.

From Project Gutenberg

He was sheriff of Paris, 1770, and employed his leisure in objects of benevolence, till the revolution overwhelmed him.

From Project Gutenberg

You see, sir, we did not look upon him as a common sheriff's man: and he helped himself pretty freely.

From Project Gutenberg

The sheriff's hand came out of his pocket with a rush, bringing a pair of handcuffs along with it.

From Project Gutenberg