lawman

noun

law·​man ˈlȯ-mən How to pronounce lawman (audio)
: a law-enforcement officer (such as a sheriff or marshal)

Examples of lawman in a Sentence

Wyatt Earp was a famous American lawman of the Wild West. as the rural county's chief lawman, the sheriff has to patrol a vast area with only minimal manpower
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mendenhall stared back at the lawman and shrugged his shoulders. Tim Evans, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 Sheridan saw it in 1883, when Marshal Jim Courtright turned from amiable lawman to stone killer in a barroom full of bad hombres. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 12 June 2025 Drawn out of his humble galley kitchen and into a world of diplomatic intrigue, Carême becomes a pawn in the cold war between Talleyrand, a Machiavellian schemer stabbing backs in the name of a newborn republic, and Fouché, a draconian lawman who mistrusts anything that moves. Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, the pissy, frustrated lawman (Kenneth Tobey) trying to coordinate the manhunt has to deal with abject incompetence and mind-boggling bureaucracy, as well as his own desire to relive his youth. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lawman

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lawman was in 1944

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lawman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawman. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

lawman

noun
law·​man ˈlȯ-mən How to pronounce lawman (audio)
: a law-enforcement officer (as a sheriff or marshal)

More from Merriam-Webster on lawman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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