sheriff
the law-enforcement officer of a county or other civil subdivision of a state.
(formerly) an important civil officer in an English shire.
Origin of sheriff
1Other words from sheriff
- sher·iff·dom [sher-if-duhm], /ˈʃɛr ɪf dəm/, noun
- sub·sher·iff, noun
Words Nearby sheriff
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sheriff in a sentence
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.
A man caught committing ballot fraud in Florida proves mail voting is secure | Daniel Bentley | October 2, 2020 | FortuneChallenged by the president on “law enforcement” support, for example, he didn't mention his endorsements from hundreds of sheriffs.
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.
Oil Companies Are Profiting From Illegal Spills. And California Lets Them. | by Janet Wilson, The Desert Sun, and Lylla Younes, ProPublica | September 18, 2020 | ProPublica“Apple is a sheriff who sometimes makes unfair interpretations of the guidelines for its own benefit,” Hirabayashi said.
Apple’s App Store draws scrutiny in yet another country | Verne Kopytoff | September 3, 2020 | FortuneFor example, a sheriff in Washington state told a cheering crowd that he would not enforce the state’s mask mandate.
The sheriff charged them with truancy, and then he and his officers ran them out of town.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’ | Gary May | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWe also see her physically battling sheriff Clark, but the camera focuses on her falling to the ground.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’ | Gary May | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe pastor told sheriff deputies that he spoke with the younger man “but said nothing inappropriate.”
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault | M.L. Nestel | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn turn, he told the sheriff he had experimented with gay sex in college.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault | M.L. Nestel | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe preacher gave sheriff deputies permission to search his SUV but warned them “there was something bad” inside.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault | M.L. Nestel | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTJudge or sheriff, it was all one to them, each being equally terrible in their eyes.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) OgdenHe felt very sorry for the Temecula people, the sheriff did; but he had to obey the law himself.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonHe was sheriff of Paris, 1770, and employed his leisure in objects of benevolence, till the revolution overwhelmed him.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellYou see, sir, we did not look upon him as a common sheriff's man: and he helped himself pretty freely.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry WoodThe sheriff's hand came out of his pocket with a rush, bringing a pair of handcuffs along with it.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
British Dictionary definitions for sheriff
/ (ˈʃɛrɪf) /
(in the US) the chief law-enforcement officer in a county: popularly elected, except in Rhode Island
(in England and Wales) the chief executive officer of the Crown in a county, having chiefly ceremonial duties: Related adjective: shrieval
(in Scotland) a judge in any of the sheriff courts
(in Australia) an administrative officer of the Supreme Court, who enforces judgments and the execution of writs, empanels juries, etc
(in New Zealand) an officer of the High Court
Origin of sheriff
1Derived forms of sheriff
- sheriffdom, noun
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
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