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

How the person died is not clear, and their cause of death and identity will be determined by the Mesa County coroner’s office. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 9 July 2026

Investigators believe Lopez died before the car was set on fire, but were unable to determine her exact cause of death or who killed her, because of the extreme fire damage her body suffered, according to the coroner’s report. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Alazjah Cannon, 32, of Pleasant Hill, was charged Monday in the January 3 death of TreVaughn Winston Brown, 34, who the coroner’s bureau said was a resident of West Sacramento. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

The Ada County coroner released the name of a 15-year-old boy who was killed in a crash with a motorcycle while riding an electric bicycle in Boise. — Matan Josephy, Idaho Statesman, 8 July 2026

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

Rhymes for coroner

• foreigner

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