bailiff
Americannoun
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bailiffs
plural
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an officer, similar to a sheriff or a sheriff's deputy, employed to execute writs and processes, make arrests, keep order in the court, etc.
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(in Britain) a person charged with local administrative authority, or the chief magistrate in certain towns.
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(especially in Britain) an overseer of a landed estate or farm.
noun
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the agent or steward of a landlord or landowner
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a sheriff's officer who serves writs and summonses, makes arrests, and ensures that the sentences of the court are carried out
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(formerly) a high official having judicial powers
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an official having custody of prisoners appearing in court
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bailiff
1250–1300; Middle English baillif < Old French, equivalent to bail custody ( see bail 1) + -if -ive
Explanation
A bailiff is an officer of the court. A bailiff has duties such as making arrests and maintaining order in court. This legal officer has a different job depending on the country: in the US, a bailiff is a kind of court usher and security guard. In the UK, bailiffs carry out writs and execute repossession orders. In all cases, the bailiff serves a higher authority: the court. This may be because the word was first used for officers of the king, including sheriffs and mayors. As democratic authorities replaced monarchies, the concept of the bailiff evolved.
Vocabulary lists containing bailiff
Just Mercy
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Born a Crime
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Crispin: The Cross of Lead
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Questioned by Hedrick in a 2016 hearing, Baumgartner’s longtime bailiff explained that during Leath’s trial she had taken to reaching back to slam the door behind her to rouse the judge from his sleep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
The department spokesperson said in an emailed statement last week that it had launched criminal and internal administrative investigations into Devoe, who worked as a bailiff at the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2025
McKillen’s lawyers told the Irish Times that their client “vigorously denies any violence or any wrongdoing” against the bailiff and claimed the allegations against him were “false.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2025
Two more penalties followed and, along with bailiff fees, Andy was told he owed £2,500.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2024
The bailiff read out my case number, and the judge looked up at me.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Sarah Sackman, minister for courts and legal services, said bailiffs did an important job, but "with that responsibility must come high standards".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Alongside action on rogue tradespeople, the government has announced plans to regulate private bailiffs in England and Wales, to protect people in debt from "intimidating behaviour, unfair treatment or being pushed into excessive repayment arrangements".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In South Carolina governance, the clerk of the court job—organizing juries, bailiffs and handling evidence—is an elected position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
More than 11,000 households in England had their homes repossessed by bailiffs following a Section 21 "no-fault" eviction in the year to June 2025.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
The bailiffs had to catch and support him.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
