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coroner

American  
[kawr-uh-ner, kor-] / ˈkɔr ə nər, ˈkɒr- /

noun

  • coroners
    plural
  1. an officer, as of a county or municipality, whose chief function is to investigate by inquest, as before a jury, any death not clearly resulting from natural causes.


coroner British  
/ ˈkɒrənə /

noun

  1. a public official responsible for the investigation of violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths and inquiries into treasure trove. The investigation ( coroner's inquest ) is held in the presence of a jury ( coroner's jury ) See also procurator fiscal Compare medical examiner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of coroner

1225–75; Middle English < Anglo-French corouner supervisor of the Crown's pleas, equivalent to coroune crown + -er -er 2

Explanation

A coroner is a scientist with a grim specialty: a coroner studies dead bodies and figures out the cause of death. If you've ever watched a TV show or movie about crime, chances are you've seen a character who was a coroner. If someone dies of a heart attack, there's not much need for a coroner, because everyone knows how they died. When the circumstances are unclear or suspicious, a coroner is needed. Coroners are very helpful in solving crimes.

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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:

The coroner said he was waiting on a report on the full post-mortem examinations into the men's deaths, a report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and a police collision report.

From BBC Aug. 27, 2026

Senior coroner Dr Julian Morris said on Wednesday: "The various reports have given me reason to suspect that Professor Arday died an unnatural death 12 days ago."

From BBC Aug. 26, 2026

There aren't enough pathologists being trained, and the basic fee of £96.80 for carrying out a post-mortem for a coroner hasn't increased in well over a decade.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

The coroner who presided over the inquest, Caroline Topping, told us she was unable to comment.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

The coroner took a quick step back to the table and rapped sharply with his knuckles.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

One change that would not require any investment is the attitude that some coroners appear to show towards bereaved families.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

Alexia Durran, the chief coroner for England and Wales, told the BBC that coroners are seeing "increasingly complex cases" that are creating a "greater volume of work" and "greater stress" on staff.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

She wants coroners here to learn from her native Australia, where learning from every inquest is examined.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

For the final analysis, researchers used only cases for which coroners had approved the use of the data.

From Science Daily Aug. 15, 2026

The best of accountants, but the poorest of coroners is he.

From From Sea to Sea Letters of Travel by Rudyard Kipling

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