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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.
Over the course of his career, Costner has portrayed many a historical figure, including Eliot Ness in The Untouchables; the Old West lawman title character in 1994’s Wyatt Earp; and Jim Garrison, the district attorney investigating JFK’s assassination, in JFK. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2025 Around a year later, Wallace wrote a story about legendary lawman Bass Reeves. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2025 There’s Wyatt Earp, the mustachioed Old West lawman. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 Who was this irritant who had eluded the most sophisticated lawmen in the country, thanks to the triviality of his crimes? David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lawman

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lawman was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lawman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawman. Accessed 27 Nov. 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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