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 four people killed when a medical transport plane crashed near Chinle Airport on the afternoon of Aug. 5 were honored in a procession of Navajo police officers and Apache County sheriff’s deputies the morning after the tragic incident. —Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Towers, a former sheriff’s deputy who has sought public office previously, won 2,473 votes. —Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2025

According to the victim and witnesses, Gibbon was in the swimming pool with his 33-year-old daughter-in-law when the pair started arguing about his grandchildren, said the sheriff’s office. —Jack Guy, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025

In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff’s deputies. —Russ Bynum, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

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)