: 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
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Malachi Luis Garcia, 35, was reported missing around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday after last being seen at Mountain High Resort in the city of Wrightwood, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
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Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
The crash is under investigation, and the pair are expected to fully recover, the sheriff’s office said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
An Ohio woman is dead after police say she was shot and killed by her boyfriend, who was a sheriff’s deputy.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025
Officers at the jail in Craven County realized Nigh was missing from his cell at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, the sheriff's office said.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2025
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Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
The crash is under investigation, and the pair are expected to fully recover, the sheriff’s office said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
An Ohio woman is dead after police say she was shot and killed by her boyfriend, who was a sheriff’s deputy.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025
Officers at the jail in Craven County realized Nigh was missing from his cell at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, the sheriff's office said.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2025
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 2 Feb. 2025.
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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