Their small town had a reeve instead of a mayor.
Source: tatoeba (9518828)
Reeve
/ɹiːv/
Synonyms for "reeve" (100 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (20)
Noun(2 words)
aldermanarchonbailiebailiffbeadlebeaglebound bailiffburghermasterburgomastercabinet membercabinet ministercaptaincatchpolechancellorchief of policecity councilmancity fathercity manager
Strong matches (30)
commissarcommissionerconstablecouncillorcouncilmancouncilwomancounty commissionercounty supervisordeputydeputy sheriffdetectiveelderfedfederalflicg mang-mangendarmegovernment manheadman
Show 5 more words
Noun(5 words)
Related words (50)
Noun(11 words)
lord mayormace-bearermagistratemairemarshalmayorministerminister of statemounted policemanmpnarcofficerpatrolmanpeace officerpolice captainpolice commissionerpolice constablepolice inspectorpolice matronpolice officer
Show 19 more words
police sergeantpolicemanpolicewomanportreeveroundsmansecretarysecretary of stateselectmansergeantsergeant at armssheriffsuperintendentsupervisorsyndictipstafftipstavestrooperundersecretarywarden
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: administer, administrator, alderman, archon, bailie.
- Sentence evidence is available for reeve, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, moby, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "reeve".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "reeve"
Keep "reeve" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "reeve" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "reeve", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "reeve" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
14 entriesPhilomachus pugnaxadministrationcivil servantgovernancelinelocal government officialmunicipal administratorofficialpass throughpublic officialriggingroperope handlingruff
More specific
10 entriescable threadinghalyard reevinghawser reevingmanor reeveparish reevepassage linereeving linerural reeveshire reevetown reeve
Collocations
11 entrieshawser reevinglocal reevemanor reeveparish reevereeve a ropereeve the halyardreeve the linereeve through a blockreeving roperural reeveshire reeve
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
5 total sentences available.
In Grade 7, on one snowy winter day on Lulu Island, my friend Tom, who hailed from Taiwan, and I were building, on the school's baseball field, a snow city, modelled after the buildings on planet Krypton in the popular movie Superman with Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando. Tom disappeared from this world later in high school.
Source: tatoeba (10564022)
His first convert was the reeve of the city of Lincoln called Blæcca, ...
Source: wiktionary
A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. […] “Reeve”, perhaps, savoured a little too much of legal authority.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "reeve"?
Closest matches include administer, administrator, alderman, archon, bailie.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "reeve"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.