The sheriff established order in the town.
Source: tatoeba (320468)
Sheriff
/ˈʃɛɹɪf/
Synonyms for "sheriff" (53 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (11)
Strong matches (16)
Related words (26)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: bailiff, beadle, beagle, bound bailiff, captain.
- Sentence evidence is available for sheriff, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, 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 "sheriff".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sheriff"
Keep "sheriff" 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 "sheriff" 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 "sheriff", 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 "sheriff" 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
4 entrieslaw enforcement officerlaw officerpeace officerpublic official
More specific
2 entriesdeputy sheriffundersheriff
Collocations
5 entriesInflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
54 translations across 42 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- شَرِيف noun (all meanings)
Armenian
1 entries- շերիֆ noun (all meanings)
Belarusian
1 entries- шэры́ф noun (all meanings)
Bulgarian
1 entries- шери́ф noun (all meanings)
Catalan
1 entries- xèrif noun (all meanings)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 郡治安官 noun (all meanings)
Czech
1 entries- šerif noun (all meanings)
Dutch
1 entries- sheriff noun (all meanings)
Esperanto
1 entries- ŝerifo noun (all meanings)
Finnish
3 entries- seriffi noun (all meanings)
- sheriffi noun (all meanings)
- šeriffi noun (all meanings)
French
1 entries- shérif noun (all meanings)
Galician
1 entries- shériff noun (all meanings)
Georgian
1 entries- შერიფი noun (all meanings)
German
1 entries- Sheriff noun (all meanings)
Greek
1 entries- σερίφης noun (all meanings)
Hebrew
1 entries- שֶׁרִיף noun (all meanings)
Hindi
2 entries- शरीफ noun (all meanings)
- शेरिफ़ noun (all meanings)
Hungarian
2 entries- megyei rendőrfőnök noun (all meanings)
- seriff noun (all meanings)
Icelandic
2 entries- fógeti noun (all meanings)
- skerfari noun (all meanings)
Ido
1 entries- ushero noun (all meanings)
Irish
1 entries- sirriam noun (all meanings)
Italian
1 entries- sceriffo noun (all meanings)
Japanese
3 entries- シェリフ noun (all meanings)
- 保安官 noun (all meanings)
- 郡治安官 noun (all meanings)
Korean
2 entries- 보안관 noun (all meanings)
- 형사 noun (all meanings)
Malay
1 entries- syerif noun (all meanings)
Marathi
1 entries- शेरिफ noun (all meanings)
Norwegian
2 entries- lensmann noun (all meanings)
- sheriff noun (all meanings)
Ojibwe
1 entries- dakoniwewinini noun (all meanings)
Persian
2 entries- شریف noun (all meanings)
- کلانتر noun (all meanings)
Polish
1 entries- szeryf noun (all meanings)
Portuguese
1 entries- xerife noun (all meanings)
Romanian
1 entries- șerif noun (all meanings)
Russian
1 entries- шери́ф noun (all meanings)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- siorram noun (all meanings)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- šèrif noun (all meanings)
- шѐриф noun (all meanings)
Spanish
2 entries- alguacil noun (all meanings)
- sheriff noun (all meanings)
Swedish
1 entries- sheriff noun (all meanings)
Tagalog
1 entries- serip noun (all meanings)
Turkish
1 entries- şerif noun (all meanings)
Ukrainian
1 entries- шери́ф noun (all meanings)
Urdu
1 entries- شیرف noun (all meanings)
Welsh
1 entries- siryf noun (all meanings)
Sample sentences
10 total sentences available.
The sheriff beat the suspect until he was almost dead.
Source: tatoeba (320469)
Sheriff Wyatt Earp talked to that old trapper yesterday.
Source: tatoeba (871454)
The sheriff knows that old trapper.
Source: tatoeba (871457)
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sheriff"?
Closest matches include bailiff, beadle, beagle, bound bailiff, captain.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sheriff"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.