sheriff

noun

sher·​iff ˈsher-əf 

: an important official of a shire or county charged primarily with judicial duties (such as executing the processes and orders of courts and judges)

sheriffdom

ˈsher-əf-dəm 

-təm

noun

Examples of sheriff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The sheriff's office, which previously had most of its deputies searching for the inmates, will serve as the lead agency in the investigation. —Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026

Under Minnesota law, sheriff’s offices must notify ICE if a person being released is convicted of a felony and that person is not a citizen, according to state Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. —Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026

According to body camera footage, Grayson and sheriff's Deputy Dawson Farley, who was not charged, searched outside Massey's home before meeting her at her door. —Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026

Democratic state lawmakers want to allow Georgia cities to adopt sanctuary policies and eliminate requirements for local sheriffs to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. —Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English shirreve, from Old English scīrgerēfa, from scīr shire + gerēfa reeve — more at shire, reeve

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sheriff

• sherif
• tariff
• nontariff

Kids Definition

sheriff

noun

sher·​iff ˈsher-əf 

: an official of a county who is in charge of enforcing the law

Etymology

Middle English shirreve "sheriff," from Old English scīrgerēfa "sheriff," from scīr "shire, county" and gerēfa "a government agent"

Legal Definition

sheriff

noun

sher·​iff

: an official of a county or parish charged primarily with judicial duties (as executing the processes and orders of courts and judges)

Etymology

Old English scīrgerēfa, from scīr shire + gerēfa reeve (king's agent)