: 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 sheriff's office said that Florida residents who are experiencing abuse or know someone who is experiencing abuse can contact the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-500-1119.
—
Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
The grandmother was being held on a $160,000 bond, while her daughter was held on a $105,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Two days later, police in Iowa reached out to deputies in Tennessee to say a missing 13-year-old may be in Jefferson County, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
The sheriff’s office said the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
—David Chiu, People.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheriff
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
The grandmother was being held on a $160,000 bond, while her daughter was held on a $105,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Two days later, police in Iowa reached out to deputies in Tennessee to say a missing 13-year-old may be in Jefferson County, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
The sheriff’s office said the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
—David Chiu, People.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheriff
Cite this Entry
“Sheriff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheriff. Accessed 3 Jun. 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"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share