coroner

noun

cor·​o·​ner ˈkȯr-ə-nər 

ˈkär-

: a usually elected public officer who is typically not required to have specific medical qualifications and whose principal duty is to inquire by an inquest into the cause of any death which there is reason to suppose is not due to natural causes compare medical examiner

Examples of coroner in a Sentence

The coroner examined the body but found no evidence of foul play.

Recent Examples on the Web

When the undertaker hired by Dillinger’s family arrived to take the body, the coroner told him to come back the next day. —Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2024

Even though doctors can prescribe opioids and stimulants, the British Columbia coroner’s office says only a fraction of drug users access the medical system: some 5,000 per month out of 225,000 users. —Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 July 2024

Officials are still investigating the events that led to the boys’ discoveries, and a coroner was still assessing the 4-year-old’s cause of death, officials said. —Leo Sands, Washington Post, 11 July 2024

Park County coroner Cody Gortmaker confirmed to USA TODAY that Fussner's cause of death was gunshot wounds. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corowner, coronour "local officer of the crown charged with supervision of royal pleas," borrowed from Anglo-French coroner, corouner, from corone, coroune crown entry 1 + -er -er entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

coroner

noun

cor·​o·​ner ˈkȯr-ə-nər 

ˈkär-

: a public officer whose chief duty is to discover the cause of any death possibly not due to natural causes

Medical Definition

coroner

noun

cor·​o·​ner ˈkȯr-ə-nər, ˈkär- 

: a usually elected public officer who is typically not required to have specific medical qualifications and whose principal duty is to inquire by an inquest into the cause of any death which there is reason to suppose is not due to natural causes see medical examiner sense 1

Legal Definition

coroner

noun

cor·​o·​ner ˈkȯr-ə-nər 

: a public officer whose principal duty is to inquire by an inquest into the cause of death when there is reason to think the death may not be due to natural causes

Etymology

Anglo-French, recorder of crown pleas, from corone crown