: an important official of a shire or county charged primarily with judicial duties (such as executing the processes and orders of courts and judges)
Examples of sheriff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman's body was taken to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy and to be identified, according to the sheriff's office.
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Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024
The week’s biggest stories Travel and transportation Metro OKs plan to start its own police agency, wind down contracts with sheriff, LAPD.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2024
Through digital and physical surveillance, police tracked the suspect to a hotel room in Anne Arundel County, where he was arrested around 1 p.m. Sunday and taken into custody by the Bel Air Police Department, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2024
An investigation into Beeson’s death is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sheriff 
Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024
The week’s biggest stories Travel and transportation Metro OKs plan to start its own police agency, wind down contracts with sheriff, LAPD.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2024
Through digital and physical surveillance, police tracked the suspect to a hotel room in Anne Arundel County, where he was arrested around 1 p.m. Sunday and taken into custody by the Bel Air Police Department, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Dillon Mullan, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2024
An investigation into Beeson’s death is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sheriff
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Cite this Entry
“Sheriff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheriff. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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"
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