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

Police found the man's body several yards beyond the campsite, with injuries like those from a "large carnivore attack", the sheriff's office said.

From BBC

Anderson said the arrest and conviction would not have been possible without the “old-fashioned detective work” of sheriff’s detective Jacob Hernandez or investigators with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times

A man admitted Wednesday that he lit a Molotov cocktail and threw it toward Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies during protests against immigration crackdowns over the summer.

From Los Angeles Times

A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty Monday to two federal crimes in connection with his side work for a cryptocurrency magnate who referred to himself as “the Godfather.”

From Los Angeles Times

A sheriff said she had been "nasty, verbally abusive, cruel, vindictive, violent" towards her victims.

From BBC