: 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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One burglary happened early October 6 at a home in Missouri’s Cass County, a report from the county sheriff’s office said.
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Chris Boyette, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Fremont County deputies and troopers with the Iowa State Patrol chased the Kia in a pursuit that crossed over into Missouri, the sheriff's office said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024
The incident, which occurred Thursday morning on Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach County, involved three motorcycle deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who were conducting traffic enforcement at the time, the sheriff's office said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
Vega's death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner who cited burns and smoke inhalation as the cause after her body was found the early morning of April 17, 2023, in the backseat of a burning car in Tonopah in west Maricopa County by sheriff's deputies responding to the scene.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 19 Nov. 2024
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Chris Boyette, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
Fremont County deputies and troopers with the Iowa State Patrol chased the Kia in a pursuit that crossed over into Missouri, the sheriff's office said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024
The incident, which occurred Thursday morning on Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach County, involved three motorcycle deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office who were conducting traffic enforcement at the time, the sheriff's office said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
Vega's death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner who cited burns and smoke inhalation as the cause after her body was found the early morning of April 17, 2023, in the backseat of a burning car in Tonopah in west Maricopa County by sheriff's deputies responding to the scene.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 19 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Sheriff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheriff. Accessed 1 Dec. 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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