: 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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Attorneys for the County of San Diego have argued that reports produced by the sheriff’s Critical Incident Review Board, or CIRB, are protected by attorney-client privilege because of the presence of the sheriff’s lawyer at review board meetings.
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Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
Should the sheriff be removed, the Board of Supervisors would have 30 days to appoint a replacement or call a special election.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Footage shared by local Fox affiliate WBRC shows sheriff's vehicles parked outside of a mobile home where the attack reportedly took place.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
At the news conference Mollet thanked the current sheriff's team.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2025
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Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
Should the sheriff be removed, the Board of Supervisors would have 30 days to appoint a replacement or call a special election.
—Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Footage shared by local Fox affiliate WBRC shows sheriff's vehicles parked outside of a mobile home where the attack reportedly took place.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
At the news conference Mollet thanked the current sheriff's team.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 8 Feb. 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 18 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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