Definition

The position or area of responsibility held by a sheriff, including their duties and authority.

Example

The shrievalty of the county was responsible for maintaining law and order.

Conversation

Have you ever thought about what it means to hold a shrievalty?

Not really, what is it exactly?

It's basically the office or jurisdiction of a sheriff.

That sounds interesting; I didn't know it had a specific term!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

The word 'shrievalty' originates from Old English 'scir' (meaning district or division) and 'ealdorman' (meaning chief or leader), combined with the suffix '-ty' (indicating a state or condition). It refers to the state or condition of being a sheriff, who is the chief officer of a district.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'chief' ('ealdorman') in charge of a 'district' ('scir') — that's what 'shrievalty' means, the state of being a chief officer in a district.

Visually Confused Words